Carlos Acosta was officially appointed Chief of Police of the Salinas Police Department during a Swearing in Ceremony that was held on Monday morning, December 2, 2024.
Chief Acosta is an accomplished Law Enforcement professional with over twenty-six years of experience, seven as a police commander actively leading and developing employees while forging strategic community partnerships. In pursuit of identifying the community’s needs and resources, Acosta is committed to strengthening relationships between city, county, non-profits, and community-based organizations.
Chief Acosta is known for his expertise in Law Enforcement, Collaborative Leadership, Community Policing and Engagement, Government Procurement, Field Training, Financial Crimes Investigations, Special Operations and training. As a Law Enforcement professional, Acosta holds a Master of Science in Public Leadership from the University of San Diego and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Management from Union University.
Under the umbrella of Community Policing, Chief Acosta is committed to transparency, accountability, procedural justice, equity and inclusion, and to receive input from communities and stakeholders. He is frequently seen having personal interactions in the neighborhoods of those we serve to improve trust and communications internally and externally, while addressing and supporting officer wellness.
Acosta, a 26-year veteran with the San Jose Police Department, was sworn in at the City Hall Rotunda and shared his commitment to the people of Salinas and his officers and staff.
“My vision is that all residents and visitors have the highest trust and confidence in their police department. We have a department is highly engaged with you, the community, and we will continue to foster and build trust with transparency and excellence in service.
Chief Acosta’s top three priorities include hiring and retaining more officers, focusing on additional training and development, and being committed to community engagement.
“We will collectively work to retain our talented employees and recruit and train an exceptional workforce. We will hold each other accountable through integrity, compassion, honor, fairness, and respect in order to best service our community.”
Acosta believes in strong community engagement — building partnerships that help build trust.
“Businesses, community members, organizations, schools, whoever wants to meet, they’re going to get to meet with me, the police chief, so that I can build those relationships and establish positive relationships moving forward.”
Acosta comes from San Jose PD, where he spent the last 26 years. City Manager Rene Mendez said he was impressed with Acosta’s leadership in the homicide division, which Mendez says saw 96% of all homicides being solved.
Mendez was also impressed with Acosta’s implementation of a Spanish program for officers. He is fluent in both English and Spanish.
“The men and women of this police department continue to do great work. My job is simply to enhance it and provide consistent, stable leadership, and ensure that we have a world-class organization to protect and serve the city of Salinas and our community.”
