Chief Steven Flores serves as the Chief of Police for the Town of St. John, Indiana Police Department.  Chief Flores has over 23 years of law enforcement experience and also served as a volunteer firefighter for 14 years rising to the rank of assistant fire chief.  

Chief Flores began his law enforcement career as a reserve police officer for the Town of St. John in 2001 and was eventually hired as a full-time police officer in 2003 by the Lake County, Indiana Sheriff’s Department.  After serving one year with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Chief Flores was hired by and transferred back to the St. John Police Department as a full-time police officer in 2004.  

Before assuming command of the St. John Police Department in 2020, Chief Flores rose through the ranks where he served as a patrol officer, patrol K9 officer, corporal, detective sergeant, and detective commander within the agency.  He also served as the deputy commander of the Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force and later served as their board president. 

Chief Flores received a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Safety Management from Calumet College of St. Joseph in Hammond, Indiana and an Associate of Science in Law Enforcement from Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana.  He is also a graduate of Northwestern University’s Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command and the FBI’s National Command Course in Quantico, Virginia. 

Chief Flores serves on several local law enforcement boards in Northwest Indiana and was recently selected as the Vice President of the Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police, and the President of the District 1 Law Enforcement Council where he represents law enforcement from Lake, Porter, Jasper, Newton, Laporte Counties, the Indiana State Police and several Federal Law Enforcement Partners.   

In 2014, Chief Flores was selected officer of the year for the Town of St. John and has also been awarded several distinguished service awards throughout his career.

Chief Flores comes from a law enforcement family where his father served as a long time police chief with nearly 30 years of total service, his uncle is a retired sergeant in charge of juvenile investigations with 30 years of service, and his cousin is a retired officer with over 25 years of service all from the East Chicago, Indiana Police Department.  

Chief Flores is married to his wife Gail and they have three beautiful daughters.

Experience:

Lake Hills FD 2000-2014 – Assistant Fire Chief

Reserve Police Officer SJPD 2001 – 2023

Full Time Firefighter East Chicago FD 2003

Full Time Officer Lake County Sheriff’s Dept.  2003 - 2004

Full Time Officer St. John PD 2004 – Present

Patrol Officer – 2004 - 2005

K9 Officer - 2005-2012

Detective – 2012 - 2015

Detective Corporal – 2015 - 2017

Detective Sergeant/Commander - 2017-2020

Chief of Police – 2020 – Present

Affiliations:

Current Executive Vice President – State of Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police

Current Member - International Association of Chiefs of Police

Current Executive Board President - Local District 1 Law Enforcement Council (Representing Law Enforcement from Lake, Porter, Newton, Jasper Counties, Indiana State Police, and local Federal Law Enforcement Partners)

Current Executive Board President – Northwest Regional SWAT

Current Board Member – Northern Indiana Law Enforcement Academy

Current Executive Board President / Co-Founder – South County Crash Reconstruction Team

Former Deputy Commander Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force

Former Executive Board President – Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force

Former Planning Commission Member – Town of St. John – 2017 – 2018

Executive Law Enforcement Training:

Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command Graduate - 2018

Indiana Police Chief’s Executive School – 2019

FBI National Command Course Graduate – Class 05 - 2023