Fresno Police Watchdog Office Has Sat Vacant for Six Months

John Gliatta, the only civilian reviewer Fresno has ever had to monitor police misconduct investigations, retired last August. More than six months later, no one has replaced him.

Gliatta took the post when the city created the Office of Independent Review in 2017 under then-Mayor Lee Brand. The city posted the job around the time of his retirement with applications due at the end of August, but the search quietly collapsed after the city's top candidate turned down the offer.

The vacancy surfaced publicly at a town hall-style meeting where Fresno police presented details about their military-grade equipment and weapons. An attendee noted the open position had lingered and that no independent reviewer report had been issued since July. Deputy Police Chief Burke Farrah acknowledged he was "not clear on what will happen for cases left so far unseen by an independent reviewer," but said the department continues to follow its internal policies and is "under potential review by the state Police Officers Standards and Training, a regulating body."

The independent reviewer had previously issued reports that included some details of accusations, Internal Affairs findings, and the reviewer's own independent conclusions. With the position empty since August, no such reports have been produced.

On March 13, Fresno Police Department spokesperson Lt. Larry Bowlan directed questions about new cases to City Hall without elaboration.

Mayor's office spokesperson Sontaya Rose later confirmed the hiring process broke down after a job offer was rejected. "We went through a process, interviewed candidates and made an offer to an excellent candidate," Rose said in an email. "Unfortunately, the candidate rejected our offer so we are in the process of reposting the position."

Rose provided no timeline for when the position would be reposted or when a new application window would open. City officials have not publicly addressed what happens to misconduct investigations that were pending when Gliatta left, or to cases that have arisen in the months since.