Meet Wichita’s first Hispanic deputy chief of police

Wichita has never had a Hispanic deputy police chief before. That changes this week.

Jose Salcido, who was born in Mexico and came to Wichita with his family when he was 9, begins his new duties on Tuesday and will be formally sworn in as a deputy chief on Wednesday.

Salcido, 45, called the achievement the fulfillment of a goal he set for himself when he became a police officer 21 years ago. He realizes that he’s blazing a trail.

He’ll be overseeing support services, recruiting, the records department and animal control.

What does it mean to you to be the first?

“It feels kind of weird to me. At the same time, the responsibility that comes with it, it’s pretty awesome. It definitely points to the changing demographics in the Midwest (and the growing Hispanic population).”

Now that he’s been named Wichita’s first Hispanic deputy chief, “all eyes are on me. It’s up to me to perform.”

What message does it send?

“It will help us to recruit and diversify a little more, which is needed. It sends a message to those kids that you work hard enough and apply yourself, you can go far. You can be the next guy” to be deputy chief.

What made you want to be a police officer?

“I always wanted to be one, ever since I can remember.”

He wanted to become a deputy chief one day. “I’m here, and it kind of feels weird: ‘What do I do now?’ ”

He credited mentors he had along the way, including Jeff Easter, now the Sedgwick County sheriff. “He told me ‘If I want to get there, this is what you need to do.’ ”

As a child, “I remember running into WPD officers on the way to school” as he would walk to Park Elementary. Officers would hand out bubble gum cards featuring Kansas City Chiefs football players, and Salcido loved to collect them.

“I was big into football cards. Every time you see a police officer, we’d trade” cards.

What’s been the most rewarding aspect of your law enforcement career?

“The people I work with and working with people out in the community.”

The high-performance teams he’s been a part of, such as the gang unit and the Special Community Action Team, “are so dedicated.”

What’s been the most challenging aspect?

“The redundancy in things” in the administrations of previous chiefs of police. Though he later came to understand it, he said he grew frustrated by the way bureaucracy got in the way of efficiency. A lot of decisions were made behind closed doors, he said.

“The new regime is more transparent.”

This story was originally published September 5, 2016 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Meet Wichita’s first Hispanic deputy chief of police."