Paco Balderrama to police academy cadets: “The job is difficult, sometimes scary, and always dangerous.”

When Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama saw the video of George Floyd – the Black man who was killed after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck and head for more than 9 minutes in May 2020 – he felt “chills down my spine and made me question many of our own policies, practices and accountability protocols.”

Balderrama, in his second year as the first Latino to lead the police department of California’s fifth-largest city, made that comment during his 6-minute speech at the March 25 completion ceremony for 47 cadets who completed their training at the State Center Community College District Police Academy.

“It is not easy to choose law enforcement in such a time as this, with such turmoil and discord we have experienced the last two years,” said Balderrama. “Our honorable profession – some might even call it a calling – has been challenged and criticized by many for multiple reasons.”

Balderrama said police departments have responded by improving training and practices.

“We would be remiss and even negligent if we did not make improvements after such a difficult time,” he said. “Surely law enforcement has changed a great deal in the last two years.”

Balderrama said the 166th class, which began with 51 cadets, “received the latest, best and most advanced police training in the country.”

The completion ceremony, the largest in the academy’s history, was held at Cross City Church in northeast Fresno. All but three of the cadets have already joined law enforcement agencies, with 25 of them heading to the Fresno Police Department.

Balderrama said the controversies over Floyd’s death and the Black Lives Matter movement have forced police departments to progress “by leaps and bounds.”

Communities are better protected “from both violent crime and injustice,” he said. However, the law enforcement profession has suffered from officers who have left for different jobs.

“Many have lost heart. They’ve given up. They’ve left. Some have chosen a different profession so as not to deal with the many complicated struggles we are facing,” said Balderrama.

One thing that has not changed, he said, “is the honor, the pride and the humble confidence that comes with being part of this difficult, dangerous, and, yes, honorable profession.”

“Police officers do not do this job for the glory or for its riches or for enhancement,” said Balderrama. “They do it because it must be done; and it must be done by good, smart, compassionate and courageous people.

“The job is difficult, sometimes scary, and always dangerous.”

Balderrama said police are essential because “in the absence of good there is evil. And when there is no law, there’s chaos.”

“We aren’t perfect beings, who sometimes make mistakes,” he said. “But 99% of the time, we get it right. Show me those odds with any other profession.”

Balderrama thanks the cadets for their decision to go into law enforcement.

“You are the thin blue line that stands between good and evil.”

Fresno police snap up 24 of the cadets

The Fresno Police Department welcomed 24 of the cadet graduates to its team. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office was second with four.

Fresno police picked up four of the five recipients of top awards: Olen Budke (best all around, and law enforcement skills); Brandon Crockett (physical training), and Chelsea Freitas (academic).

Michael Olivas, who joins the Merced Police Department, won the top shot award for best marksmanship.

The cadets completed 1,030 hours of training starting last September.