Fresno Deputy Police Chief Mark Salazar could be in for a change of scenery.
According to a report from nonprofit newsroom Open Vallejo, Salazar is one of the finalists to be the Chief of Police in Vallejo.
The big picture: Salazar is reportedly one of three finalists to be Vallejo’s top cop, vying against Vallejo’s interim chief and a former deputy chief from San Francisco.
- Three panels in Vallejo reportedly interviewed six candidates for police chief in early September, with all three agreeing on the finalists.
- Vallejo’s interim chief Jason Ta has led the department since November 2022, when the previous chief resigned due to opposition from the city’s police union.
Flashback: This isn’t Salazar’s first attempt at becoming a police chief, having reportedly applied for the Fresno job in 2020.
- GV Wire reported that Salazar was a finalist along with Paco Balderrama, who ultimately got the job. Balderrama resigned earlier this year after an investigation revealed that he had an affair with an officer’s wife.
- After not getting that job, Salazar ran for Fresno County Sheriff in 2022 after former Sheriff Margaret Mims announced her retirement.
- Salazar received over 40% of the vote in the June 2022 election, but lost to now-sheriff John Zanoni.
- He has served in the Fresno Police Department for nearly three decades, rising through the ranks to become deputy chief four years ago.
State of play: While Salazar is looking at jobs outside of Fresno, the city is currently conducting its search for the next police chief.
- Deputy Chief Mindy Casto is filling in as the interim chief. Fresno officials have not publicly announced which candidates have applied for the position.
- When Balderrama resigned in June, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said the city would conduct a national search and hire a new chief by the end of the year.
