Ceres Police Chief Chris Perry was placed on administrative leave on Tuesday, City Manager Doug Dunford has confirmed.

Perry became police chief in February 2024 after Rick Collins retired a month prior.

Dunford said he couldn’t discuss the reasons behind the action, saying it was a confidential personnel matter, but disclosed that Captain Trenton Johnson is in charge of the Ceres Police Department. He promised additional details to the Courier on Monday evening.

Perry was present at the Monday, Jan. 27 Ceres City Council meeting but absent during the Tuesday, Jan. 28 Board of Supervisors meeting during Sheriff Jeff Dirkse’s presentation involving Ceres for county dispatching.

Perry grew up in Ceres where he attended elementary, junior high and high school. He became a Ceres Police explorer scout in 1992 before graduating from Ceres High School in 1994. Perry attended Modesto Junior College and went through the regional Police Academy and found his first sworn officer position with the Atwater Police Department. Ceres Police hired him in May 1997.

Perry was promoted to sergeant rank in 2006, supervising patrol shifts, the canine unit and the dispatch center. Six years later he became the traffic sergeant where he worked motor patrol and supervised the motor unit and Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT).