California Police Chief- Fall 2013 CPCA_2019_Spring Magazine- FINAL | Page 22

LEAVING A LEGACY
40 Years of Dedicated Service
“Safety, Service and Trust!” is the motto of the Fresno Police Department, but more than that,
it’s the roadmap Chief Jerry Dyer has used for the past 18 years as chief of the department.
It’s hard to believe by looking at him, that Chief Dyer has been in this profession for over 40
years and all with the same department. Chief Dyer has a way of making things look easy.
We’ve all watched him shine in front of the camera, handle intradepartmental scandals, lead
organizations, be a father, husband, grandfather and more importantly, be the man of God he
was intended to be. But who is Jerry Dyer?
Jerry comes from a family of law enforcement, but
not just any agency, The Fresno Police Department
specifically. His father was a detective at Fresno PD, his
sister a detective at Fresno PD, and currently; his son-in-
law, niece and her husband all work for Fresno PD. Jerry
began his career in 1979 as a police cadet and quickly rose
through the ranks. As sergeant he was head of the SWAT
team, helped many crime victims, supervised the narcotics
division and connected with faith-based leaders to build
22
California Police Chief | www.californiapolicechiefs.org
community trust. He then was promoted to lieutenant
where he was known in the community as being extremely
relatable and approachable. Soon after his promotion he
was assigned as administrative lieutenant and public
information officer. During this assignment Chief Dyer
worked tirelessly to raise private funds and he successfully
launched Fresno PD’s Skywatch helicopter unit. During
his time as captain he oversaw one of the busiest districts
in the City, all while also overseeing the Skywatch unit. He