A resident of St. Helens since 1977, Steve Sallé began working for the City of St. Helens Police Department in 1979. He has served in all department assignments except canine officer and was promoted to Chief of Police in 2003. Chief Sallé attended Portland State University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Oregon Executive Development Institute. He is  certified through the State of Oregon and holds basic, intermediate, advanced, supervisor, middle-management, and executive certificates from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. He has completed approximately 3,000 hours of law enforcement training.  In addition to his job as Chief of Police, Chief Sallé is an instructor for both the Oregon Police Officers’ Association and the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards & Training (DPSST). He serves on the Columbia Emergency Planning Association (CEPA) Board of Directors, is on the Kiwanis Executive Board, and is a member of the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council (LPSCC). He also is an active member of the  Law Enforcement Working Group for the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI).

Chief Sallé believes that the St. Helens Police Department’s quality of work and professional knowledge is equal to any other municipality, and he applauds the men and women of the department for their tireless efforts.