From SAC to Bexar County’s top cop: Sheriff Javier Salazar reflects on his law enforcement career

As a rookie police officer, Javier Salazar was working full-time while pursuing an associate degree at San Antonio College.  

More than three decades later, he still recalls inspiring feedback from one of his professors.

Speech professor Jim Mamarella wrote a note on a paper Salazar had turned in: “Way to go, ‘Chief Salazar.’ I see a future for you in administration.’”

Mamarella was onto something. Salazar went on to a 23-year career with the San Antonio Police Department before his election as Bexar County Sheriff, an office he’s held since 2017.

“I wrote him once I became sheriff and reminded him of this,” Salazar said. “I was a 22 or 23 year old kid, a street cop, but something about my speech made him see a future for me.”

In those days, Salazar would work the overnight shift, then sleep for an hour or two in his truck in the SAC parking lot before going to his morning classes.

Salazar, a native of Bexar County, first enrolled at SAC after graduating from Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz, aiming to follow his father into broadcasting. He started out in SAC’s radio-film-television program and began bartending at a local hotel.

When his father was no longer able to help him pay for college, Salazar tried to figure out the best way to continue his education. The hotel offered a tuition reimbursement program for employees pursuing careers in the field, so Salazar transferred to St. Philips and began studying hospitality. He quickly realized it wasn’t for him.

Then he learned that the San Antonio Police Department also offered tuition reimbursement. The idea of being a first responder was as appealing as tuition reimbursement, so once he graduated from the police academy and began working full-time, he returned to SAC and pursued a major in criminal justice.  

He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Wayland Baptist University and a Master Peace Officer license from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, the highest level of recognition for law enforcement professionals in Texas.

Throughout his career with SAPD, Salazar took on a wide variety of roles, including 10 years of working undercover in narcotics investigations. He then became a supervisor and set his sights on the position of director of communications for the agency.

“I loved working in narcotics, but ultimately my goal was to become the spokesman for the agency,” he said.

When the job became available in 2012, he applied and got it.

At that time, many law enforcement agencies didn’t have a presence on social media. Salazar established the agency on Facebook, building it up to one of the biggest followings for a large police department.

A social media presence allowed SAPD to get their own messaging out without relying on traditional media. If breaking news happened and media got pulled elsewhere, the department could still get their news out to the public.

“It certainly does even the playing field,” he said. “We’re not just reliant on the news media to get our side of the story out.”

After more than three years as spokesperson, Salazar started thinking about his next career challenge. He knew he wanted to run his own agency, but he wasn’t sure what would be the right fit.

His wife Sarah finally told him, “I’m tired of hearing you talk about it, why don’t you run for sheriff?”

“She said it in passing, but I thought hey, I could do that,” he said.

The Democratic Party was looking for a candidate for sheriff at the time. With Salazar’s high-profile role and name recognition as SAPD spokesman, they thought he could do well.

“That’s what made me decide to throw my hat into the ring,” Salazar said.

He got a crash course in political campaigning while taking on a less public position within SAPD. Outside of work hours and on lunch breaks, he would change out of his uniform to blockwalk and make other political appearances. He won the election in 2016 and was sworn into office as the 34^th sheriff of Bexar County on Jan.1, 2017.

As sheriff, Salazar is proud of several achievements, such as implementing a comprehensive body camera system for deputies and introducing drones to county policing – among the first agencies in Texas to do so.

“There are so many technologies I’m proud to say we’ve initiated,” Salazar said.

Salazar is also proud to collaborate with SAC as Bexar County Sheriff. He realized that deputies wanted careers but also degrees, but because they often work a lot of overtime, it can be challenging to find the time for classes.

Recalling his own days of policing while pursuing a degree, and recognizing the importance of higher education, Salazar arranged for SAC instructors to teach night courses at the Sheriff’s Office training facility, making classes available for deputies and the community.

“SAC was the first call I made,” he said.

Wayland Baptist University also teaches classes at the training facility for bachelor’s degree students.

“I tell them you don’t have to choose, you can do both,” he said. “I had to put my money where my mouth was – if I’m recommending that they do both, but they’re working so much overtime that it’s difficult to go to class, then I’ll bring class to them.”

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