City Hall is keeping its mouth shut on hiring Fresno’s next police chief.

Mayor Jerry Dyer and his administration have ignored several requests from GV Wire for an update. Dyer last spoke on the matter on Jan. 9, saying he had an upcoming meeting with the recruiting firm, Public Sector Search and Recruiting.

City Hall spokesperson Sontaya Rose said there is nothing new to report.

Fresno has been without a permanent chief since June 2024 when the city placed Paco Balderrama on paid leave, following revelations he had an affair with the wife of an officer under his command. Balderrama resigned a month later.

The city appointed Mindy Casto first as acting, then interim chief, a position she continues to hold.

The general buzz is lacking compared to the 2019 search to fill the vacancy caused by then-chief Dyer’s retirement and the 2020-21 search to replace bridge appointment Andy Hall.

Hall, a deputy chief who didn’t even apply for the job, was selected by then-Mayor Lee Brand. However, Hall’s appointment was always meant to be short-term as he already had a retirement date.

A renewed search in 2020-21 produced Balderrama, a deputy chief from Oklahoma City.

Related Story: Fresno Police Report 2024 Violent Crime Drop, Homicides Fall to 30

Current Search Started in October

The current search started in earnest last October when the city held four community meetings to gather input on the chief selection. The deadline to apply was Jan. 3.

Dyer hoped to have at least six candidates in a nationwide search within three months, which would be now.

At the time, Rose told ABC 30, “The mayor and the city manager are committed to ensuring that the process is transparent and inclusive and so we intend to keep the community informed every step of the way.”

Several questions remain that City Hall is not answering, including how many candidates applied, who the candidates are, if there will be an interview panel, and who would be on the panel.

Is Casto the Choice?

Casto, a deputy chief before her promotion, previously confirmed to GV Wire that she applied.

Some have speculated privately to GV Wire that Casto’s performance in the last seven months may have cleared the field.

She has the support of City Council President Mike Karbassi.

“I’m confident the City Manager and Mayor will make the right decision for the community. I want to reiterate my support for an internal candidate given the backstory of this particular situation. Mindy Casto is highly qualified for the position and has my full support,” Karbassi said.

Several councilmembers said they have not received updates on the chief search. Councilmember Annalisa Perea said she met with the recruiter to answer questions about the position, but nothing beyond that.

The police union has not had much of a formal role in the search, but also supports Casto.

“We are really happy with the leadership of Chief Casto, so there’s no urgency,” said Sgt. Jeff La Blue, president of the Fresno Police Officers’ Association.

Mark Salazar, a deputy chief who applied for the job when it was open in 2019 and 2020-21, tells GV Wire that he didn’t apply this time. He said the timing was not right.

Salazar also said the city of Vallejo offered him its chief position, but he turned it down.