Chamber Honors Officer of the Year

The Key West Chamber of Commerce, during its December member luncheon, honored Key West Police Officer Christy Salter as Officer of the Year. The outstanding honor was sponsored by The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum.

Each year, the Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce names an Officer, a Firefighter, and an Employee of the Year from the City of Key West.

“On behalf of the men and women of the Key West Police Department,” said Chief Sean Brandenburg as he introduced Officer Salter. “I would like to once again thank you for taking the time to recognize one of our members as the Chamber of Commerce Officer of the Year.”

Officer Salter joined the Department as an academy recruit in 2021, easily passing the state exam and entering the field training program the following October.

“The Field Training Program is not easy,” he said. “You change shifts frequently, the workload consumes every part of you. All with the knowledge that when you complete the program, you will be a rookie officer on the night shift.”

With that in mind, Officer Salter opted to become a reserve officer so that she did not miss out on some important family milestones for her children.

“I don’t blame her,” said Chief Brandenburg. “There are no do-overs for the many family events that police officers miss every year.”

However, in 2023, she was convinced to return to full duty as the School Resource Officer at Gerald Adams School.

“If you have seen any of the social media posts from Gerald Adams, whether it be Hero’s Day or Halloween,” noted Chief Brandenburg, “or any other occasion where the children can dress up, it is inspiring to see how many dress up as a police officer or specifically as Officer Salter. She does all this while ensuring that she maintains a work and family life balance, never missing out on any family events.”

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]