Former St. Charles County Sheriff Douglas Saulters has been hired as the new Wright City police chief. He will replace Henry Matthews, who announced in October he was retiring at the end of this month. Matthews, 74, has been chief since May 2008. Saulters’ official first day is Dec. 27. He spent 26 years overall working with the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department, including the last eight years as sheriff. He was elected to two, four-year terms and served from 1995-2003. He lost in his bid for a third term. Since leaving the sheriff’s department, Saulters has been employed as a security consultant for Allied Intelligence Inc., a St. Charles County-based company that specializes in corporate security. During that time, he worked for dignitary and VIP details across the nation and international locations, such as Venezuela, Ecuador and Europe. Saulters is looking forward to returning to the law enforcement profession and leading a smaller department. “Once you're in it, it’s in your blood,” he said. “When you get out of it, you actually miss it. I am in the situation now where I could look for it and I found it here where I can get back into law enforcement and finish out my career.” Saulters will be paid $50,000 annually. Matthews’ annual salary was $46,040. Aldermen chose Saulters after interviewing five other finalists earlier in the week. The city received 21 applications. Saulters’ hiring was made official during a 4-0 vote by the board on Dec. 7, following the second night of interviews. The hiring announcement was made two days later at the board of aldermen meeting. Mayor David Heiliger said city officials were impressed with the large group of applicants, but said Saulters’ experience stood out. “He brings so much to the table,” Heiliger said. “He has a lot of experience. He was knowledgeable about everything.” This is the second retirement for Matthews, who had been employed with the Wright City Police Department since 1989 and retired from 1998-2001. Following a lengthy military career, he served as a Warren County sheriff’s deputy from 1985-1989.