ATWATER – Former Madera County Undersheriff Michael Salvador, who has served the west valley city of Coalinga as their police chief, has been named the new chief of police for the city of Atwater.
The Coalinga Police Department announced last week that Chief Salvador has accepted a 3-year contract from the City of Atwater to become its Police Chief. The Atwater City Council ratified the contract and there will be a swearing-in ceremony during the Atwater City Council meeting on February 25, 2019.
Salvador said in a statement on Facebook, “It has been a pleasure and an honor serving as Coalinga’s Police Chief for the past 3 ½ years. I wish the community and the Council well and hope that some of the change I have facilitated continues. I would also like to thank all the department heads, coworkers, and community for their support during my tenure. My goal has always been to leave the Department in a better condition than when I came. I think we have accomplished this. You have a great police department with dedicated individuals that love serving the community. I am proud to have had the opportunity to lead them.”
Michael Salvador, a veteran police officer, has served the city of Kerman and Chowchilla before taking a position with the County of Madera. He soon rose through the ranks being named Undersheriff under former Madera County Sheriff John Anderson.
Salvador ran an unsuccessful campaign to be Madera County Sheriff in 2014. Despite being endorsed by Anderson, who retired, Salvador lost the election to Chowchilla Police Chief Jay Varney. Soon after the newly sworn in sheriff took office, Varney eliminated the position of Undersheriff in a restructuring to “save money”.
That restructuring would eliminate the undersheriff position held by Salvador for two years for a new commander position. Last month Varney reinstated the position of Undersheriff naming Tyson Pogue to the position.
Salvador has been chief in the Fresno County city of nearly 17,000 since October of 2015. The chief also previously served on the Madera Unified School Board.
Salvador is a 1990 graduate of the California State University; Fresno with a degree in Criminology and a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement from the Columbia Southern University. He is also a graduate of the Los Angeles Police Departments West Point Leadership Academy.
Chief Salvador will be sworn in at a public ceremony in front of the Atwater City Council on February 25, 2019 at 6:00 pm at 750 Bellevue Road in Atwater.
Details on his Atwater contract have not yet been made public.
