2021’s most interesting | “I believe in 5-10 years Fresno is going to be a much different place.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: The 21st year of the millennium was expected to be a time of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of normal, 2021 gave us more of the same as 2020 with vaccinations, face mask requirements and more COVID-19 deaths. There were people who stood out during the year because of their work, accomplishments or their impact. Vida en el Valle selected the 10 most interesting people of 2021. Here is No. 6:

Following in the footsteps of a very visible police chief who is now his boss and mayor, Paco Balderrama has stamped his own identity after being sworn in as Fresno’s first Latino police chief.

The former Oklahoma City Police captain became the face of law enforcement for California’s fifth-largest city, and the fact that more than half of Fresno’s population was not lost on supporters.

“The image they put of Latinos, especially in the Central Valley, is very negative when it comes to Latino coverage,” said Vicente Calderón, founder of the Latino Peace Officers Association. “It’s always on the front page with negative news, but the stories about Latino students who go to the university and do well is buried.”

Balderrama, who grew up in El Paso, Texas, didn’t have much time to settle as he had to deal with demands for police reform, a spike in crime and a police force shortage.

At his swearing-in ceremony in front of Fresno City Hall, Balderrama said the city’s demographics were a big draw for taking the police chief post.

“It is not just the big, big Hispanic population, but a big minority population,” said Balderrama, who thought he would have retired with the Oklahoma City Police Department. “It’s got a big Asian population. I believe Fresno kind of represents what the United States of America is going to look like at about 20, 30 years.

“I don’t think it’s going to hurt me to speak Spanish.”

Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria welcomed the addition of Balderrama, who was raised by a single mother along with his twin brother, Beto.

“I’m excited for our community. I’m excited for the little boys and little girls that live in the city that see someone that looks like them, that has the same skin color, that speaks their language, and that they can look to him and see that they too can one day become the leader of a police department,” said Soria.

Balderrama was quickly introduced to the ills of Fresno.

He’s had to deal with anti-mask protestors, street racing, an officer who was a Proud Boy member (he was fired), attacks against street vendors, and a violent crime wave.

In August, the police chief pledged faster response time for high-priority calls.

“We cannot put up with this anymore,” he said at a news conference. “When we overly focus on violent crime, we will drive the numbers down. The shootings will go down, the homicides will go down, we will put a lot of people in jail. But we will suffer in other areas.”

In November, he announced a task force crackdown on gang violence that resulted in 106 felony arrests.

“We sent a message: Law enforcement is not going to tolerate gang violence.”

When he was sworn in, Balderrama alluded to the kind of safer city he envisioned.

“I see an opportunity here. I see a challenge. I see great things will happen,” said Balderrama. “I believe in 5-10 years Fresno is going to be a much different place. And if I can play a small role in that, then that’s a life and a career.”