LEON VALLEY, Texas – The city of Leon Valley has selected Capt. Joseph Salvaggio, a 29-year veteran of the San Antonio Police Department, as its new police chief.
Salvaggio, who currently oversees the city’s airport police department, has a resume that includes almost three decades of experience in law enforcement and the Air Force. He’ll be in charge of Leon Valley’s police staff, which consists of about 30 officers.
“I thought it would be a great challenge,” Salvaggio said. “The department is a very good department. It's a good city.”
Salvaggio made headlines in 2010 when he was accused of cheating on the captain's exam because he wrote on a sticky note.
He was fired, then vindicated and given his promotion.
“You learn something from everything and every incident that goes on in your life. If you don't, you're not doing what's right,” Salvaggio said. “The department went on and did the right thing, and did a pretty good examination of what occurred and what led to that wrong decision that was made and made some changes. That made me extremely happy that something positive came out of something that was very negative.”
As for his vision for Leon Valley, Salvaggio said it's a city with more minor crimes than violent ones, and that he plans to put a big focus on community outreach.
“There's no wall around Leon Valley to stop those things from happening,” Salvaggio said. “It's extremely important for the community and the officers to work together."
Salvaggio’s first day on the job will be Sept. 15.