City of Ferris appoints Eddie Salazar as new Police Chief

FERRIS — City Manager, Carl O. Sherman, Sr. announced the appointment of Lieutenant Eduardo Salazar as the new Chief of Police, following a national search to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of long-time Police Chief Sam Love on September 1, 2015.

Chief Salazar was selected from a highly competitive pool of many qualified candidates following a comprehensive and rigorous interview process. Salazar is expected to begin work Monday, October 26, 2015. "The City Council and I welcome Chief Salazar to the City of Ferris and look forward to his official swearing in ceremony scheduled for the first Council meeting in November," stated Mayor Micheal Driggars.

A law enforcement veteran with over 21 years of experience, Salazar is currently Police Lieutenant for the Dallas County Constable’s Office Precinct 5. Prior to this position, Salazar served as Chief Deputy for Dallas County. "I am excited to welcome Mr. Eduardo Salazar to the City of Ferris," says Sherman. "Our interview panel board not only was impressed by his qualifications and previous experience as a police chief deputy, but also by his character, profound insight, communication skills, veracity, and servant based leadership style. It was this blend of qualities that made him our top choice for the job." Salazar is enthusiastic about serving as Ferris’ next Police Chief.

"I am honored to be selected as the new Chief of Police. I had nothing but positive indicators as I went through the selection process. From my first interview with Mr. Sherman, to the interactions with Mayor Driggars, City Councilmembers, Interim Police Chief Birdwell, police staff, community stakeholders and Ferris department heads, that positive feeling continued. I look forward to getting to know and work with the incredible staff of the Ferris Police Department and build upon the significant strides that have been initiated by Interim Police Chief Birdwell. I also look forward to serving the residents, businesses, and visitors of my new city and interacting with them to
understand their desires. That communication is critical to succeed in providing excellent police services in Ferris," explained Chief Salazar.

Salazar brings to Ferris a reputation of effective leadership grounded on a proven track record of using a servant-based leader approach, and a vow to the four pillars of justice based policing. He is widely regarded for his drive to seek participation from staff at all levels, and reaching out to the people of the community, as well as, other law enforcement agencies to collaborate on local and regional issues.

"We saw first-hand at the city’s Pioneer Day how carefully Eddie listens to others’ perspectives, and he also presents analytical and thoughtful questions," Sherman noted, "It’s obvious that these qualities inform his decision making, which will serve both his police officers and our community very well."

"Chief Salazar’s philosophy on community policing can be summed up with the four basic principles represented by the LEED model, which he explained during the second round of the selection process as the following: LISTEN to people give their side of the story; give them voice, and let them vent. EXPLAIN what you’re doing, what they can do, and what’s going to happen. EQUITY – Tell them why you are taking action. The reason must be fair and free of bias, and show their input was taken into consideration. DIGNITY – Act with dignity and leave them with their dignity. Chief Salazar believes that by addressing these four critical human needs on every call, officers elevate the quality of the interaction and people are more likely to see police as helping rather than controlling," clarified Sherman.

"The result," expounded Chief Salazar, "is improved officer safety and enhanced community trust, which should end with more of our officers returning home to enjoy their families each day."

As a former Staff Sergeant of the U.S. Marines, Salazar is recognized for his exceptional leadership abilities under incredible life threatening conditions during war time. Defined as a tenacious and hardworking leader that can always be counted on to deliver superior results, regardless of how difficult the assignment.

"I am looking forward to working with a man of Eddie’s many accomplishments, including being named Deputy of the Year by the South Carolina Sheriffs Association for his outstanding bravery while serving as Deputy in Newberry County Sheriff’s office, where he began his law enforcement career after serving in the U.S. Marines for 13 years," asserted Chief Birdwell.