‘The right person at the right time’: Mindy Casto sworn in as Fresno’s Police Chief

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – History was made in the City of Fresno Friday as Mindy Casto was sworn in to lead the Fresno Police Department. It made her the 24^th chief in the city’s history and the first ever woman to be Fresno’s top cop.

It was a ceremony filled with emotions, and capped by a badge pinning, oath reading, and a thunderous applause and standing ovation from a crowd of city, county, state, and federal leaders, along with the officers of the Fresno Police Department.

A major theme of the day was trust, a trust from city officials and the community. It’s a commitment Chief Casto says she will do everything to keep and honor.

“From members of the public as they pass me on the sidewalk, to my coworkers, community leaders, and everyone in-between, words can’t adequately convey the gratitude I feel for the privilege of serving in Fresno,” said Chief Casto to the crowd after it was all made official.

It’s truly a full circle moment for Casto, who said she herself tap-danced on the same Saroyan Theatre stage as a girl roughly four decades ago. She grew up in Caruthers, before she became an explorer with the Fresno Police Department in 1992, then a cadet, and later a sworn Fresno Police Officer in 1997.

She would rise through the ranks to sergeant, lieutenant, captain, deputy chief, and Friday, Chief of Police – a journey Chief Casto took time to reflect on, as she explained more about the moment that kicked off a life in law enforcement.

“The Fresno Police Department means the world to me because I grew up in it,” she said. “My first introduction to Fresno P.D. was on a ride-along with Mayor Dyer’s sister, Diane, who was a Fresno Police Officer at the time. I was 15 years old and to this day, I really don’t know why my mom set that ride-along up for me but it absolutely altered the trajectory of my life.”

As for Mayor Jerry Dyer, the former Fresno Police Chief himself, he said it was a privilege to promote Casto multiple times when he was in command of the force and said he knew she was always destined for bigger things.

“She proved herself to be competent, capable, and extremely compassionate. And I always knew that Mindy had what it took to become a great police chief someday,” said Mayor Dyer. “I never told her that but I knew.”

While he never knew if the timing would work out, he is thankful it did. Chief Casto has now officially replaced former Chief Paco Balderrama following his resignation in June.

The mayor says he is 100% confident she can do the job, and said he believes she’ll continue doing it long after he’s mayor.

“Mindy Casto is the right person at the right time to lead the Fresno Police Department,” he said.

While the chief says there will undoubtedly be ups and downs in her tenure, she says she’ll never place her self-interest above the department or the public. A public, she signed off to with a promise.

“You deserve to feel safe. It’s my commitment to you that every decision I make will be with that in mind. I look forward to working with you as your chief, to help make Fresno a better, safer, and one Fresno,” she said.