Former police auditor LaDoris Cordell examines investigation into Paco Balderrama case, city reacts

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) – It’s been a week since the city announced it was investigating allegations that Police Chief Paco Balderrama had an “inappropriate off-duty relationship.” At first, city leaders said they would keep Balderrama in his position during the investigation, but last night he was surprisingly placed on leave.

Action News spoke to a former independent police auditor who says the city’s lack of transparency is fueling intense public scrutiny.

When Police Chief Paco Balderrama spoke to Action News on Wednesday, he sounded defiant amid the investigation into an alleged inappropriate relationship.

“If I were selling insurance, if I were a director, if I were head of another department,” said Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama. “Would that make headlines? No, it wouldn’t.”

LaDoris Cordell (a retired Superior Court judge and former independent police auditor for the City of San Jose) says that given Balderrama’s position, the audit is appropriate and that the police chief should be held to higher ethical standards than the average citizen.

“This baggage now distracts from the good work of law enforcement,” Cordell said. “But this is not a trivial matter, and I stress, not a trivial one. Policies and procedures explicitly state and address off-duty conduct. When you’re in law enforcement, you’re held to a higher standard.

The city had initially stated that Balderrama would remain in office during the investigation, but changed its decision Wednesday evening and said he would be placed on leave due to the intense public attention the investigation was receiving.

Cordell said hiring an independent investigator was the right move, but the lack of transparency only increases public scrutiny.

“The public should know who this investigator is,” Cordell said. “What are the investigator’s qualifications? And how was this investigator selected for this job? So these are very, very important questions because they affect the credibility of the investigation.”

Cordell said that under the Peace Officers Bill of Rights, the public is not entitled to details of misconduct or to know what disciplinary action would be taken, but transparency during and after the investigation would help restore public trust.

“I hope that city officials will disclose all information,” Cordell said. “If the investigation exonerates the police chiefs, then so be it. If not, the public needs to know no matter what happens, and they also need to know what the consequences are.”

On Thursday afternoon, City Attorney Andrew Janz sent Action News a statement.

“As the former independent investigator pointed out, the police chief and other officials are protected under state law, which prohibits me from conducting this investigation in a public setting. The fact that I appointed an independent investigator demonstrates the city’s commitment to an unbiased, administrative investigation.”

On Thursday morning, Council Member Miguel Arias raised concerns about a double standard.

“During my tenure, several high-ranking city officials openly engaged in extramarital affairs with city employees who were under their chain of command. In these incidents, the officers, who happened to be white, were not disciplined or fired,” Arias said.

He says he will monitor the investigation to ensure employees of color are treated fairly.

Balderrama was scheduled to speak at a public safety conference in Atlanta tomorrow, but when I contacted the organizers, they told me he would no longer be speaking and would not be in the venue.

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