Fresno Police Department:
Chief Dyer:Too close to the fire, or a job well done?
Many of us have read about the arrest of Keith Foster, the second in command at the Fresno Police Department. The Deputy Chief, Foster, is accused of conspiring with others to distribute Heroin, Oxycodone, and Marijuana. Many have taken to the belief that Chief Dyer is in some way responsible, or needs to be accountable due to his second in command being accused of a crime. There are many societies where the head of the household is held responsible for the crimes and actions of the household. Typically, American is not one of them. We have all had friends who we trusted betray our trust. I can only imagine that Chief Dyer is experiencing exactly those feelings at this time.
The Dyer family has a long history in Law Enforcement. Chief Dyer has tacitly admitted he committed some sins in his younger days. He has also very openly shown a dramatic change in his actions and line of thinking, decades ago. I'm not sure he is to blame. However, there are some aspects of his job that he can be directly credited with. The decrease in crime in Fresno. Implementing aggressive anti-gang policies. He has also presided over one of the most aggressive anti-DUI campaigns in the nation.
Not long after the news of Deputy Chief Foster's arrest, another arrest occurred. Again, the issue of whether Chief Dyer is too close to too many people who commit criminal actions is raised. His Nephew, in his mid-20's, Damon Dyer, the son of his sister Dianne, also a Law Enforcement officer, was arrested again. The Fowler native was arrested in Clovis, at the home of his mother. In no way was his mother alleged to be any part of the crimes, or even to have had knowledge of them.
Following the arrest of Dyer's nephew, Former Fowler high school standout athlete, Damon Dyer the cries again are heard for him to resign. However, don't we all have a relative who has gone down the wrong path? We may also have one that started down the wrong path, and through guidance, help, and the type of caring that only a parent can provide, came back to the good. Dyer himself may be the most inspiring story about a change how one chooses to live their life working out with the best possible results. Being given the chance to change, and the support of the community allowed him to excel in law enforcement, reaching the highest level of the Fresno Police Department. It also allows him to help others. Perhaps any negatives that could be said about Chief Dyer and Dianne Dyer are short sighted. If the young Dyer arrested in Clovis is to be a success story, it will likely be because his mother stood by his side and continued being a parent long after her legal obligations to do so had passed. It may well be the guidance of his uncle, at some point in his life, that helps him. Afterall, abandoning ones children has never been a path to their success.
Perhaps, they deserve credit for working hard for the best possible results, as parents and professional.