SAN ANTONIO — City Council is expected to vote today on confirming Jesse Salame as San Antonio’s next police chief, putting the final piece in place for a longtime San Antonio Police veteran who has spent his entire career with the department.

City Manager Erik Walsh selected Salame for the job a little more than a week ago. Today’s council vote is required to confirm the appointment.

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Salame has been serving as acting police chief since July, following the retirement of William McManus, who led the San Antonio Police Department for nearly 20 years and became the city’s longest-serving police chief.

Salame joined SAPD after graduating from the police academy in 1999. He spent 10 years as a detective before moving through the department’s leadership ranks, eventually becoming deputy chief in 2022.

When Walsh announced his selection, Salame reflected on a career that took him much further than he originally expected.

The only goal that I ever had was to get on the police department and be a homicide detective, and I thought I was gonna do that my whole career. And life has a different, you know, gets in the way and you find a different path, and here I am today,” Salame said.

During his time with SAPD, Salame has pushed for programs focused on officer mental health, including the creation of the department’s Officer Wellness Unit, which works to help prevent officer suicide.

He also played a role in SAPD becoming the first law enforcement agency in the country to receive a Level 1 Foundational Trauma-Informed Care Organizational Certification, an effort focused on creating a more supportive workplace.

As he prepares to take over the department permanently, Salame has said he wants to build on SAPD’s existing work while looking for areas that can be improved.

At the top of his list is public safety, with Salame saying his No. 1 priority is keeping violent crime down.

If confirmed by City Council today, Salame will officially succeed McManus as San Antonio’s police chief.