Jerry Dyer
Chief of Police

A Message from the Chief
Between 2001 and 2009, overall crime rates have fallen by 31% in our city. That equates to 11,000 fewer crimes per year. Crimes against persons such as murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault have fallen by 28%. Property type crimes, such as burglary, larceny, auto theft, and arson have decreased by nearly 32%. Needless to say we have a much safer city today than in years past as a result of our focused policing philosophy, gang eradication efforts and an incredible amount of involvement and support from our community.

Our job is not done, however, and we must not become complacent. The war on crime can never be won; it must be continually fought. Police can’t do it alone. We rely on the public to partner with us to reduce crime by taking preventative steps and by reporting suspicious activity and wanted suspects to our Department and to Crime Stoppers.

The Fresno Police Department is also committed to improving safety on our roadways. Between 2002 and 2009, traffic collisions resulting in an injury decreased by 40%, while the number of people killed in traffic collisions fell by 52%. In 2002, 52 people lost their lives in traffic collisions as compared to 25 fatalities in 2009. During this seven year period, 127 fewer families had to bury a loved one due to a traffic collision in our city.

Like other law enforcement agencies, we are facing challenges brought on by current economic conditions. As a result, we have had to implement significant organizational changes to meet community needs with fewer resources. Priorities have been modified, staff members have been reassigned, and department operations have been restructured. These economic constraints, combined with other issues, such as parole reform and the early release of prisoners, have required us to focus our resources on our highest priority duties. This may result in delays in response times to lower priority calls for service, the need to handle some types of reports over the telephone, or asking citizens to self report certain crimes via this website. While this is certainly not our preference, your support and understanding will help us to be more effective in our response to the most urgent calls, such as those for crimes in progress.

As Chief, I assure you that the Fresno Police Department will continue to provide the highest level of dedication and service to our community while keeping you and your loved ones safe.