Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar announced today that he will retire from the City of Visalia, concluding over 30 years in law enforcement.
“Chief Salazar has led the Visalia Police Department with honor and integrity. We have been blessed by his leadership and his service to this community for over 30 years,” said Mayor Brett Taylor. “He is a great man who loves his family and the City of Visalia. We wish him well and thank him for his three decades of service.”
Born and raised in Porterville, California, Salazar is a graduate of Monache High School and attended the College of Sequoias before receiving his Bachelor of Arts from Mountain State University and his Master of Arts from Fresno Pacific University.
He began his career with the Visalia Police Department in October 1993 as a Community Services Officer, then promoted to the position of Police Officer in June 1996. Throughout his extended career, Salazar served in nearly every division and capacity of the Visalia Police Department before rising to the rank of Police Captain in January 2011. He was named Chief of Police for the Visalia Police Department in June 2015.
Committed to community, building connections and advancing policing in Visalia, and across the state, throughout the 30 plus years of his career, Salazar has served on several boards and committees. He served as the President of the California Police Chiefs Association from 2025 to 2026.
“It has been a true honor to have served this community as part of the Visalia Police Department for the past 33 years and the last 12 as the Chief,” shared Salazar. “I have had the privilege of working alongside some of the finest people I ever have known – both within this department and the Visalia community – doing work that has always had meaning and purpose, for a community that I love. I am incredibly proud of the men and women of the Visalia Police Department and the work they do every day and know that they stand poised and ready for the future.”
With the announcement of Chief Salazar’s retirement at the end of 2026, the City will begin a comprehensive process to select the department’s next leader.