What's at stake:
Chief Paco Balderrama's fate at the Fresno Police Department, after a tenure of three and a half years, was announced Tuesday morning.
Fresno police Chief Paco Balderrama stepped down Tuesday morning, following an investigation into whether his affair with another police officer’s wife violated city policy.
Balderrama’s resignation was voluntary and announced at a Tuesday morning news conference, 13 days after he was placed on paid administrative leave by City Manager Georgeanne White.
“I just think it’s best for my family first and foremost,” Balderrama told Fresnoland in a Tuesday phone call. “It’s best for the police department. I don’t think anybody will realize how heavy a toll this has been for me personally and my family.”
Balderrama declined to comment on any specifics about the investigation. He added that he has received hundreds of supportive messages from community members, including religious leaders, police officers and advocates.
Deputy Chief Mindy Casto will continue to lead the department as its interim chief. The city plans a “national search” to hire the next police chief within the next five months.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mayor Jerry Dyer said the investigation concluded that Balderrama did not abuse his authority as chief. However, the mayor said Balderrama’s behavior was below the standard expected of a police chief.
“There was poor discretion on the part of Chief Balderrama,” Dyer said at the news conference, “in allowing himself to be involved in an inappropriate relationship with a police officer’s wife that ultimately impacted the morale of the Fresno Police Department.”
Last week, Fresnoland independently verified a report from local NPR-affiliate KVPR, which first identified the police officer as Jordan Wamhoff, who is also an elected official in Madera County and a former vice president of Fresno’s police union.
Fresnoland reviewed a series of text messages between Wamhoff and a high-ranking city official, who requested anonymity out of concerns of possible police retaliation. In the messages, Wamhoff said he would not take legal action against the City of Fresno if Balderrama were to resign within 30 days, among other requests.
City Manager Georgeanne White criticized a June 10 report from the San Joaquin Valley Sun for being unauthored and for reporting factual errors regarding Balderrama’s behavior with Wamhoff at the Fresno Police Department.
“One of the allegations that was referenced in the Sun article was that Chief Balderrama leveraged his position to undermine the officer’s career moves that would have brought an end to the affair,” White said. “While I cannot get into the specifics of the investigation, I am able to state that this allegation was not sustained and evidence to the contrary was presented.”
Additionally, the June 10 San Joaquin Valley Sun report kept Wamhoff anonymous and did not contain any of the terms of a deal he proposed to city leaders. Besides pushing for Balderrama’s resignation, Wamhoff was also pushing for a more flexible job in exchange for not taking legal action against the city.
To investigate Balderrama, City Attorney Andrew Janz said his office hired Andrew Aller — who is with the local Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo law firm. Aller used to work at the Fresno County District Attorney’s office, as did Janz. Additionally, the city has hired Aller in the past.
“Just because of my close working relationship with Chief Balderrama, his department and parties involved,” Janz said, “we outsourced the investigation to an outside entity and outside attorney to avoid any appearance of bias or impropriety.”
At the news conference, Dyer confirmed Balderrama is not being offered any severance. He also went on to say that the scandal was disappointing, but praised Balderrama’s work as chief.
“As we recognize the indiscretion that he had — involving himself with a police officer’s wife — that is not excusable,” Dyer said at the news conference. “But we also don’t want to forget some of the good things that he did as well.”
Dyer confirmed that Wamhoff will continue as a Fresno police officer.
Wamhoff’s attorney, Brian Whelan, issued a lengthy statement following Balderrama’s resignation, calling it a “victory.”
“This resignation brings a necessary conclusion to a chapter marred by ethical violations and personal misconduct,” Whelan said in a prepared statement. “It is now time to move forward, especially for the young children of both families affected by these actions, who deserve a future free from the shadows of these events.”
In a news release, the Fresno Police Officers Association said it supported the city’s stance that Balderrama resigning was best for all parties involved.
In a Tuesday statement, Fresno City Council President Annalisa Perea said leaders need to embody accountability and trust, and that those values aren’t just words, but the foundation on which communities and institutions stand.
“We recognize the pain and disruption this situation has caused and are committed to moving forward with integrity and transparency,” Perea’s statement said. “Our focus now is on healing and rebuilding the trust that has been shaken.”
