Chief’s tenure marked by body cameras, expanded homeless services, and 20% reduction in violent crime
SALEM — Police Chief Trevor Womack was recognized Monday night as he prepares to close a 34-year law enforcement career, with his final day set for Friday, May 22, 2026. He leaves behind a transformed Salem Police Department defined by accountability, community trust, and a compassionate approach to homelessness that reshaped public safety in Oregon’s capital city.
Womack, who served as Salem’s chief for more than five years after arriving from Stockton, California in December 2020, received a standing ovation from city councilors who credited him with modernizing the department during one of the most challenging periods in American policing.
“Chief Womack is one of those rare leaders who managed to earn respect across the board, not because everyone always agreed with him, but because people trusted how he showed up, consistently, respectfully, and honestly,” Mayor Julie Hoy said during Monday’s recognition ceremony. “Even those who may have started as critics often found themselves becoming supporters over time. That doesn’t happen often in public service, but it happened here.”
Womack’s tenure produced measurable results that set Salem apart from many cities struggling with police-community relations. The body camera program he championed generated unprecedented support from the police union and produced striking outcomes: more arrests and less use of force since implementation.
“It provides accountability on both sides of the lens,” Councilor Vanessa Nordyke said. “Recently, when you gave one of your wrap-up presentations to community groups, you pointed out the fact that since the body camera program has taken effect, we’ve had more arrests and less use of force. That’s a win for everybody involved.”
Perhaps Womack’s most enduring legacy is the homeless services team, created in 2022 and recently doubled in size by unanimous council vote. The specialized unit emphasizes de-escalation, trauma-informed approaches, and treats arrest as a last resort rather than first response.
“You’ve emphasized the importance for them to focus on de-escalation, a trauma-informed approach, arresting as a last resort rather than a first resort,” Nordyke said. “And that vision coming from the top, coming from leadership, is now what I expect from our Salem Police Department moving forward.”
Throughout his tenure, Womack repeatedly challenged the prevailing political narrative around homelessness with a simple message grounded in decades of experience: “You can’t arrest your way out of homelessness.”
“I can say it till I’m blue in the face,” Nordyke said. “But when your police chief says it, it hits different.”
Under Womack’s leadership, Salem also saw a 20% reduction in violent crime through the Community Violence Reduction Initiative implemented in 2025, and made significant progress toward his 30 by 30 goal of achieving 30% female officers by 2030.
Councilor Deanna Gwyn praised Womack’s commitment to diversity and his comprehensive strategic plan — the first in the department’s history.
Reflecting on his career, Womack credited his team rather than taking personal credit for the department’s achievements. “Any success we’ve enjoyed over the past five years is because there’s been a whole team coming up alongside me and helping us get there,” he said.
“It’s just been an incredible career of being able to give back and serve the community,” Womack added. “I just have a heart full of gratitude as I prepare to step away next week.”
The search for Womack’s successor will begin immediately, with the new chief inheriting a department that councilors say has been fundamentally transformed for the better.
