After leading the San Fernando Police Department (SFPD) for just over four years, SFPD Chief Fabian Valdez has been forced to retire, effective June 19, according to sources close to the issue.
It was a tenure fraught with challenges. In 2023, nearly three dozen residents made public comments supporting Valdez when news spread that two council members, Cindy Montañez and current Mayor Joel Fajardo, were seeking to remove him from his position.
The city hired a public relations specialist, Raul Riesgo from the Merino Group, to craft the recent retirement announcement and be available for media inquiries, an expense in years past the city said they could not afford to spend.
The news release was circulated after business hours at 5:30 p.m. last Friday, June 5.
“They pushed him to resign,” community member Julio Martinez told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol, describing the chief’s impending departure as “heartbreaking [and] disturbing.”
Martinez said he believes that two San Fernando City Council members – Fajardo and Vice Mayor Victoria Garcia – have been leading the charge to oust Valdez from the police department, at the urging of members of the union, the San Fernando Police Officers Association (POA). Both received political endorsements from the POA when they ran for their seats.
Valdez found himself at odds with the POA since he took the helm as chief in 2022, because “the chief was the one who was going to hold them accountable,” said Martinez. He said the POA has “always had certain council members” who supported their opposition to Valdez.
When Valdez attempted to discipline officers he was always met with resistance, according to sources close to the department who asked for anonymity.
“The chief was met with push back as soon as he hit the door from those in the department who wanted the position for themselves and maintained the position as chief be an internal promotion.
“The truth is, the chief was hired by former City Administrator Nick Kimball who wanted someone from outside of the department because an internal promotion would just keep the police department’s same negative culture going,” said a source close to the issue.
“Once Kimball left, Chief Fabian no longer had the support he needed to make changes.”
During the past four-plus years, Valdez made community-building efforts, attempted to discipline officers and sought to implement new policies, trying to heal what he described as the “fractured” department he inherited, Valdez told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol in a previous interview.
“I made the assumption that the culture [here] was ready for change … but I had underestimated the fracture, the hurt and the culture,” he said in 2024.
In an email to San Fernando City Manager Kanika Kith, Martinez asked for clarification about the announcement that Valdez is retiring from the SFPD before the end of June.
“Throughout his tenure, [Valdez] has shown a willingness to address difficult issues and hold individuals accountable when necessary. Those qualities are essential to building public trust,” wrote Martinez. “I believe the community deserves a clear and transparent explanation.
“Residents deserve confidence that personnel … decisions are being made in the best interests of the community and not under pressure from special interests or internal groups.”
City Council member Patty Lopez claimed the decision to retire was between the chief and the administration and “had nothing to do with the council,” although the POA has exercised its strength and expressed their disdain for the chief with members of the council.
“It wasn’t a decision made by the council; personally, it wasn’t a decision I made, nor do I think other council members made it,” Lopez claimed during an interview with the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol.
Council candidates typically seek the endorsement of the POA.
“I think he’s done the best he could in his position … but I think there were some areas where he needed to improve,” she added. “I like that the chief had community meetings in churches and schools, but I think he should have had more police in places like in the downtown mall.”
Lopez said perhaps the chief made this “decision because he saw what was going on and [decided] where he wanted to be in the next five years.”
Editor Diana Martinez contributed to this article.
POA executive members and members at large while under investigation for serious allegations should be relieved of their union duties until the case is adjudicated. The POA is to protect all members of the union when the four corners of the MOU is breached, and if policy is the issue, the POA provides support via legal defense, etc. It is not uncommon for those on a board to use the “power” of the board for a themselves or select individual (s) creating or steering negative sentiment towards management or a single individual in management for their own defense benefit and/or to discredit the claim (s) of misconduct. Accountability and credibility are key. Anyone who fights against real accountability is dirty. There are also protections and processes in place protecting officers from overzealous management as well; POBAR, LDF and law firms on retainer. Corrupt unions (or management and leadership) have no place in police departments, or anywhere for that matter.
Sounds like the SFPD and city leadership need a purging.