1st West Sacramento police chief Barry Kalar dies at 79. ‘He will be sorely missed’
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- Barry Kalar, West Sacramento’s first police chief, died at age 79 after battling cancer.
- He took over the chief job May 1987 soon after the city's incorporation.
- He served in Rotary leadership, including district governor in 2009 to 2010.
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.
Kalar was selected from more than 75 applicants for the West Sacramento police chief position, which he took over soon after the city’s incorporation in May 1987 for $48,000 a year. He helped create the department and oversaw the transition from the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office to a municipal police force.
Kalar resigned in February 1993, about a year after the West Sacramento Police Officers’ 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.
“We’re sorry to see Barry go,” then-West Sacramento Mayor Greg Potnick told The Bee. “He did a very able job. He’s done some good work for the community.”
What did Kalar’s chief tenure look like?
During Kalar’s 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’s “roughneck image and chronic allegations of brutality,” according to previous Bee reporting.
Despite some controversies, the West Sacramento Police Department remembered Kalar as a “respected leader,” who was critical to the development of the city’s police force in a social media post Tuesday.
“We 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,” the West Sacramento Police Department said in the social media post. “His legacy of leadership and service will not be forgotten, and he will be sorely missed.”
On June 16, 1990, one of Kalar’s officers, Jim McKnight, was shot and killed during an attempted narcotics bust. In the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation’s archives, Kalar described McKnight as dedicated, reliable and well-liked.
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.
“It’s one of the realities of police work that a police chief hopes he never has to deal with,” Kalar said. “Especially in a small department, it’s like an extended family.”
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.
“It’s a lot of dope,” Kalar told The Bee at the time.
After resigning, Kalar took over as Moraga police chief in March 1993, where he remained until 2002, when he retired from policing.
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’s Office for eight years.
‘His legacy will not be forgotten’
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.
From 2009 to 2010, Kalar served as the district governor, the top executive role in the district, for the Greater Sacramento section.
“Barry’s 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,” Rotary District 5180 Governor Megan Ellinghouse said in a statement posted to social media Sunday. “Barry will be greatly missed, fondly remembered, and forever a part of the Rotary family.”
Kalar also served as an adjunct professor in the administration of justice department at Sacramento City College since 2006.
West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero said in a statement that Kalar “helped shape the foundation of public safety in West Sacramento” and would be missed.
“Beyond his distinguished law enforcement career, he was a dedicated community leader who touched many lives through his service and guidance,” Guerrero said. “His legacy will not be forgotten.”
Former explorer cadet remember Kalar fondly
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’s Office to Kalar’s newly created West Sacramento Police Department.
She helped redo filing systems and mug books as data transitioned from the Sheriff’s Office to the Police Department, which she said was tedious. But one thing she remembered was that Kalar was always willing to answer questions.
“I 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,” Albalos said. “He was a really good leader.”
Albalos said Kalar’s expectation of efficiency and willingness to work with everyone in the office were critical to her future.
“That set the tone for everything I did later on in life,” Albalos said. “He provided a really good influence.”
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 7:00 AM.
