Paco Balderrama resigned as Fresno police chief after being accused of having an affair with the wife of a police officer under his command. Mayor Jerry Dyer, City Manager Georgeanne White and City Attorney Andrew Janz made the announcement at a Tuesday morning news conference at City Hall. “We do believe this resignation by the chief is in the best interests of the community, the police department and our employees, as well as for Chief Balderrama and the families involved, given the intense media scrutiny that this matter has received,” Dyer said.
Dyer said this was the most difficult decision in his three-plus years as mayor. “This ranks up at the at the top,” Dyer said. Casto Now Interim Chief Mindy Casto, already named acting chief, will now serve as interim chief, White said.
Casto worked her way up the chain of command since starting as a 16-year old police explorer in the 1990s. She started as an officer with Fresno Police in 1997. The department promoted her to sergeant in 2003, lieutenant in 2015, captain in 2018, and deputy chief in 2022.
She is the first female to lead the Fresno Police Department. “The city manager and I have complete trust and confidence in Acting Chief Mindy Casto to run the police department during this transition,” Dyer said. Dyer plans for a national search to start immediately, with a goal of hiring a new chief in five months.
Dyer said the search would likely use outside consultants and police management groups. Investigation S.
