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Barry Kalar in 2004.<\/p>\n
Randall Benton<\/p>\n
Sacramento Bee file<\/p>\n
The first chief of the West Sacramento Police Department, Barry Kalar, also a prominent community member and an adjunct professor at Sacramento City College, died Saturday after a battle with cancer, the department confirmed Tuesday. He was 79.<\/p>\n
Kalar was selected from more than 75 applicants for the West Sacramento police chief position, which he took over soon after the city\u2019s incorporation in May 1987 for $48,000 a year. He helped create the department and oversaw the transition from the Yolo County Sheriff\u2019s Office to a municipal police force.<\/p>\n
Kalar resigned in February 1993, about a year after the West Sacramento Police Officers\u2019 Association passed a vote of no confidence against him, according to previous Bee reporting. He had, at times, sought other jobs as well, including being one of two finalists for the Vacaville police chief position in 1991.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re sorry to see Barry go,\u201d then-West Sacramento Mayor Greg Potnick told The Bee. \u201cHe did a very able job. He\u2019s done some good work for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Yolo County Chief Deputy Gary Lipelt, left, stands with West Sacramento Police Chief Barry Kalar in 1987. Kalar, the city\u2019s first police chief, died Saturday, May 24, 2026, at age 79 after a battle with cancer, the department confirmed Tuesday. Ed Homich Sacramento Bee file What did Kalar\u2019s chief tenure look like?<\/p>\n
During Kalar\u2019s nearly six-year tenure as chief, the department faced a yearslong labor quarrel that caused friction between him and the police union, as well as the force\u2019s \u201croughneck image and chronic allegations of brutality,\u201d according to previous Bee reporting.<\/p>\n
Despite some controversies, the West Sacramento Police Department remembered Kalar as a \u201crespected leader,\u201d who was critical to the development of the city\u2019s police force in a social media post<\/a> Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are sincerely grateful for the impact Chief Kalar had on the law enforcement profession, our department, and the many people he mentored and inspired over the years,\u201d the West Sacramento Police Department said in the social media post. \u201cHis legacy of leadership and service will not be forgotten, and he will be sorely missed.\u201d<\/p>\n On June 16, 1990, one of Kalar\u2019s officers, Jim McKnight, was shot and killed during an attempted narcotics bust. In the California Peace Officers\u2019 Memorial Foundation\u2019s archives, Kalar described McKnight as dedicated, reliable and well-liked<\/a>.<\/p>\n McKnight was the first West Sacramento officer to die in the line of duty and the first officer to die in the line of duty in Yolo County in about 10 years at that time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one of the realities of police work that a police chief hopes he never has to deal with,\u201d Kalar said. \u201cEspecially in a small department, it\u2019s like an extended family.\u201d<\/p>\n During his time as chief, Kalar also led multiple memorable investigations with the department, including a 1988 seizure of 200 pounds of raw opium shipped to West Sacramento from Thailand, which he estimated was worth $11 million at the time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of dope,\u201d Kalar told The Bee at the time.<\/p>\n After resigning, Kalar took over as Moraga police chief in March 1993, where he remained until 2002, when he retired from policing.<\/p>\n Before coming to West Sacramento, Kalar served as Willits police chief for three years, a lieutenant at the Merced Police Department for five years and a sergeant at the Merced County Sheriff\u2019s Office for eight years.<\/p>\n \u2018His legacy will not be forgotten\u2019<\/p>\n Kalar was a prominent member of Rotary, serving in leadership roles in District 5160, which represents North Central California from San Ramon to Weed, and District 5180, which represents the greater Sacramento area.<\/p>\n From 2009 to 2010, Kalar served as the district governor, the top executive role in the district, for the Greater Sacramento section.<\/p>\n \u201cBarry\u2019s impact on Rotary stretched far beyond titles, meetings, and events. He was the kind of Rotarian who truly embraced fellowship, service, and joy in everything he did,\u201d Rotary District 5180 Governor Megan Ellinghouse said in a statement posted to social media Sunday<\/a>. \u201cBarry will be greatly missed, fondly remembered, and forever a part of the Rotary family.\u201d<\/p>\n Kalar also served as an adjunct professor in the administration of justice department at Sacramento City College since 2006.<\/p>\n West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero said in a statement that Kalar \u201chelped shape the foundation of public safety in West Sacramento\u201d and would be missed.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond his distinguished law enforcement career, he was a dedicated community leader who touched many lives through his service and guidance,\u201d Guerrero said. \u201cHis legacy will not be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n Former explorer cadet remember Kalar fondly<\/p>\n Lisa Albalos, 53, was in high school when she worked with Kalar as an explorer cadet. During her few years in the role in the late 1980s, the department transitioned from the Yolo County Sheriff\u2019s Office to Kalar\u2019s newly created West Sacramento Police Department.<\/p>\n She helped redo filing systems and mug books as data transitioned from the Sheriff\u2019s Office to the Police Department, which she said was tedious. But one thing she remembered was that Kalar was always willing to answer questions.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew he was the chief, but I never had a fear of working with him. As a high schooler, I never felt intimidated working with someone of his stature,\u201d Albalos said. \u201cHe was a really good leader.\u201d<\/p>\n Albalos said Kalar\u2019s expectation of efficiency and willingness to work with everyone in the office were critical to her future.<\/p>\n \u201cThat set the tone for everything I did later on in life,\u201d Albalos said. \u201cHe provided a really good influence.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 7:00 AM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n![\"West](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/9-03202013-10000367A.jpg\" "\\"9-03202013-10000367A.jpg\\"")
West Sacramento Police Chief Barry Kalar displays opium parcels seized from a city apartment complex in April 1988. Kalar died May 24 at age 79 after a battle with cancer, the department confirmed Tuesday. JAY MATHER Sacramento Bee file <\/p>\n
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