Jesse Salame named San Antonio police chief

Catch up quick: Former police Chief William McManus, the city's longest-serving chief, announced his retirement in January. He had planned to stay through September, but left in July after accepting a role leading security at Pearl.

• Salame has been acting police chief since then. He was previously the assistant police chief.

The latest: Salame, who grew up in San Antonio, on Wednesday stood alongside city manager Erik Walsh as he announced Salame's appointment. They were joined by a majority of city councilmembers — but not Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones.

• "The Mayor appreciates the City Manager's appointment and looks forward to completing her due diligence ahead of the Council vote," Jones' chief of staff Andrew Fuentes tells Axios.

What they're saying: "We don't have to start from scratch," Salame said. "This is about building on what works, being real about where we need to improve, and continuing to get better every day."

• "I believe we can make a great department even better," he added.
• "Things like the Police Department and the services we provide — there is never a finish line," Walsh said. "It's constantly evolving, and I appreciated the thoughtfulness that Jesse had in terms of his vision."

The big picture: Salame steps into a role that requires building relationships in the community and respect within the department.

• He must also now navigate politics at City Hall heading into a tight budget. He said the biggest challenge he faces is keeping up with the city's growth.

Flashback: Over McManus' two decades on the job, he oversaw major policy changes and led through moments of upheaval.

• He was at the helm through 2020 protests in San Antonio and calls to defund SAPD following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
• He also faced internal pushback following the acquittal of three former officers in the 2023 death of Melissa Perez, who was experiencing a mental health crisis when police shot her.

State of play: Police department funding continues to be a topic of debate for the City Council.

• Despite the city facing a tight budget year, the proposed general fund budget for the police department is set to rise 7% to $676.5 million.
• It includes funding for 22 new police officers — still fewer than the 65 requested by three councilmembers.

What's next: The City Council must confirm Salame's appointment, and is scheduled to vote on it Sept. 10 — the same day members are set to vote on a new police union contract.