Fresno’s embattled police chief won’t survive scandal of his own making | Opinion
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Fresno Police Chief Controversy
Click the arrow below to read more stories about the investigation into Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama’s off-duty behavior.
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So long, Chief. It’s a shame things worked out like they have.
Paco Balderrama once told me, six months into his tenure, that he could envision himself serving as Fresno’s police chief for a decade.
“Ten years,” Balderrama said in July 2021, responding to a direct question. “Honestly, I can see myself and my family being here for 10 years.”
Two weeks ago, Balderrama would’ve been a good bet to reach that milestone. Provided a larger city didn’t poach him before then.
Now? It has become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to see how Balderrama survives this scandal of his own making.
Married with three children, Balderrama was placed on paid leave Wednesday by City Manager Georgeanne White pending the outcome of an investigation into “an inappropriate relationship” that, sources told The Bee, involved the wife of a Fresno police officer and lasted approximately two years.
If Balderrama was having an extramarital affair with someone who has no connection to the Fresno Police Department, this would’ve been a non-story. No one’s business except those directly involved.
Except it wasn’t. By allegedly carrying on with the spouse of one of his officers, Balderrama showed a troubling lack of judgment while undermining his own leadership.
How are the rank-and-file cops under Balderrama’s command supposed to trust their chief after what he supposedly did?
Little wonder many members of the Fresno Police Officers Association “feel betrayed,” according to an email by the union’s executive board.
I’d feel betrayed too if my boss was having an affair with my partner or the partner of one of my co-workers. That’s a line of decorum that cannot be crossed.
“This is an incredible offense to every sworn member of the agency, who is held to account for policy violations surrounding ‘discretion’ and ‘conduct unbecoming’ every day, both on and off duty,” the union’s email read.
Even so, city leaders tried to keep a lid on things. The four-month-old internal investigation into Balderrama’s conduct was kept under wraps until last week, when Mayor Jerry Dyer and his communications staff got bombarded with media inquiries.
This week, bit by bit, day by day, more details started coming to light. By Wednesday, enough of them surfaced that Dyer and White had no choice but to place Balderrama on leave and transfer “operational control” of the police department to Deputy Chief Mindy Casto.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Balderrama’s return to active duty in Fresno feels like a long shot. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if a separation agreement (with the requisite nondisclosure clauses) is already being drafted.
If this were up to Dyer alone, I suspect Balderrama would probably weather this storm with the four silver stars on his dress blues intact. In my experience, people who have been granted forgiveness for past personal transgressions, as Dyer has, are often the most willing to forgive the transgressions of others.
Plus, and this cannot be stressed enough: Balderrama has been an effective police chief.
But now that everyone in Fresno knows (or at least believes) he had an affair with an officer’s wife, any attempt at damage control is futile.
Chief appears in denial
During an impromptu press scrum outside the city council chambers before being placed on leave, Balderrama seemed unable or unwilling to accept that reality.
While speaking with reporters, Balderrama vowed to remain on duty and planned “on continuing to lead this police department to even greater heights.” He also said his family “is not doing well” and asked the media not to ask any “salacious questions.”
Salacious questions? Balderrama seems to be in denial that he brought this upon himself. There would be no need for such questions if he had not allegedly engage in salacious behavior and make scandalous news that gives Fresno a seedy image.
The media didn’t create this mess, Chief. You did. Own it.
Balderrama went on to say that if he were an insurance salesman or ran a different city department, media interest would be scant.
“Would this make news? No, it wouldn’t,” he said.
Except Balderrama doesn’t sell insurance. Nor does he direct the Department of Public Utilities. He’s the chief of police, the public face of the police department with 900 sworn officers in California’s fifth-largest city and is held to a higher standard of behavior. His character and personal conduct must be above reproach.
While speaking to reporters, Balderrama said he had received “hundreds and hundreds” of messages from community members and fellow officers asking him not to step down. He displayed a set of rosary beads and quoted scripture on his social media account.
“I’m going to get through this, and my family’s going to get through this because God is great and I’m a professional and I’m going to keep on working at it,” Balderrama said.
That could very well end up being Balderrama’s final statement as Fresno police chief.
Ten years? Balderrama will be fortunate to keep his job a few more months.
This story was originally published June 14, 2024 at 10:21 AM.
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