Nearly two months after the sudden June 5 announcement that former San Fernando Police Department (SFPD) Chief Fabian Valdez would be leaving the city, the San Fernando City Council approved a three-year action plan to improve SFPD operations – a plan Valdez first presented to the council back in April.
Acting SFPD Chief John Perez outlined the “new plan” during the July 20 council meeting. The first phase of the plan includes making improvements that Valdez had previously discussed, including more timely reviews of public complaints, vehicle pursuits and addressing use-of-force incidents.
It’s unclear if the planned changes for reviewing use-of-force incidents, for example, would include independent evaluations, one of the many changes Valdez had hoped to implement when he was leading the department. But he encountered frequent pushback after joining the force in early 2022, often being met with resistance when he proposed new policies or procedures.
“This road map ensures transparency [and] strengthens public confidence,” said Valdez in April about the three-year plan – a message echoed at last week’s meeting by Perez, who was contracted by the city in 2025 to lead a comprehensive review of the SFPD and help create the plan to improve officer training, accountability and increased police visibility in the community.
“Visibility is an important part of policing,” said Perez. “We want our officers interacting with residents, listening to the community and being present where families live, work and take their children to school. Community trust is built through those daily interactions and through fairness, transparency and accountability.”
When the handwriting was on the wall for the former chief, who did not have council support, Perez was brought in and began functioning as a “consultant,” before it was publicly announced that Valdez was “retiring.” Valdez, however, took a new position in New Mexico training police officers.
Perez, who is retired from the Pasadena Police Department, is currently in the chef’s position temporarily. He said the department will address staffing levels and extended shifts to help boost local police visibility in San Fernando.
Perez also noted they are changing some SFPD policies, including the discipline policy. He said they added elements to “make sure it’s fair, not only to the employees, but also fair to the executive staff to have the ability to make determinations on tough personnel investigations.”
The city has not commented on what has prompted this policy change; however, the San Fernando Police Officers Association (POA) has taken issue with the police department’s attempts to discipline officers.
Perez said the department is improving how it tracks performance evaluations and employee training, and, regarding the training itself, they are “on track right now to implement our department-wide training,” which will include in-service classes within the department.
The action plan also includes prioritizing formal training and mentoring for supervisors; modernizing patrol and dispatch technology; strengthening emergency communications capabilities; improving protocols for officers when they encounter unhoused individuals who may need supportive services; and improving traffic safety near schools and other areas.
The objective is to produce practical results for the department and community, according to Perez.
The SFPD will provide quarterly implementation updates beginning in October, allowing the community and city council to monitor progress and ensure the plan’s goals remain on track.
“The goal goes beyond adopting a plan – it is to improve daily police service and strengthen public trust,” said Perez. “We are putting systems in place to strengthen professionalism, promote fairness and reduce risk throughout the department.”
Since the departure of Valdez and former San Fernando City Manager Nick Kimball, city officials have retained the services of an outside public relations company to handle media queries and current City Manager Kanika Kith has refused all direct in-person interviews to discuss these matters.
Editor Diana Martinez contributed to this article.