The Paco Balderrama scandal needs to end. The Fresno police chief should resign | Opinion

The more we learn about the “improper relationship” between Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama and the wife of one of his police officers, the more it becomes clear that this city and its residents need a new police chief.

There is no need to wait for the end of a four-month investigation led by the City Attorney Andrew Janz. There is no need to wait for a decision on Balderrama’s fate by City Manager Georgeanne White with input from Mayor Jerry Dyer. Nor should we wait for the chief, who is currently on paid administrative leave, to issue another apology.

This sordid affair was created by Balderrama. He’s admitted to engaging in a relationship that crosses too many ethical boundaries, causes too many distractions for the Fresno Police Department and exposes the city to too many potential legal challenges. For Balderrama and Fresno, there is no fixing this.

The city can and should finish investigating, but Balderrama is the only person who can bring this messy saga to an end. It is time that Balderrama does the honorable thing by resigning his position as leader of about 900 sworn police officers.

Balderrama was allegedly involved in a multi-year extramarital affair with the wife of Officer Jordan Wamhoff, who is a Madera County supervisor. Wamhoff approached the city with an offer to not file a lawsuit against the city if Balderrama was fired, according to reporting by The Bee’s Thaddeus Miller.

It’s doubtful that police officers who looked up to Balderrama can place trust in him again. His alleged extramarital affair was also a betrayal of his police officers.

“I own my mistakes,” the chief said in an apology, a copy of which was obtained by The Fresno Bee. “It is so very true that there are two sides to every story, but I do not intend to justify or defend myself regardless of any unknown circumstances.”

Balderrama continued, “My actions did not meet the standards of who I am as a man of faith, husband, or father.”

His actions also do not meet the standards for the police chief of a city of more than half a million residents. In addition to protecting citizens, the police chief is also expected to earn and keep the trust of his police officers and the community.

That trust has disappeared. That’s a sad outcome to the promise Balderrama inspired when he became Fresno’s first Latino police chief. A Latino-majority community welcomed him with open arms in 2021. He spoke often about trust and duty. He had community support and goodwill on his side. Unfortunately, a sad lapse in judgment by Balderrama has caused harm to his reputation that he can’t mend professionally.

Yes, Balderrama can repair his life for the good of himself and his family. He’s already applied for the chief’s job in Austin, Texas.

As a person, he can be forgiven for his mistakes. But as a police chief, he has to go, whether it’s his own choice or a decision made by the City of Fresno.

It is time to close the Balderrama chapter in Fresno.

This story was originally published June 25, 2024 at 5:30 AM.