SAN ANTONIO – Who’s going to lead the San Antonio Police Department?
Chief William McManus, 74, has been at the helm of the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) for much of the past two decades, but he plans to retire this fall. In anticipation of this transition, the city has posted the job opening for his position, seeking an “accomplished police executive with a proven record of building trust across the department and the community.”
The official job posting outlines the city’s desire for continuity, indicating they are not looking for a candidate to drastically overhaul SAPD. Instead, it emphasizes that the next chief “will inherit both a strong foundation and a clear mandate: Stabilize and strengthen the department from within while deepening the external relationships that make San Antonio’s public safety model work.”
Prior to the job posting, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a respected organization dedicated to police research and policy, conducted a community survey to gather insights on what residents expect from their next police chief. This included discussions with various stakeholder focus groups.
One community member expressed the sentiment that Chief McManus, while competent, fell short of the community’s expectations. “If we were on a scale of one to 10, I would say Chief McManus is a six, and we need an eight or higher when it comes to police discipline, police accountability, and being open to groups that sometimes have a different idea than you may,” said a local advocate.
Community members are also seeking clarity regarding SAPD’s interactions with federal immigration officials. Concerns have been raised about the fear that undocumented immigrants may have in calling the police for help due to potential deportation risks. “There’s a lot of folks in our community that are still unclear on that,” the advocate noted. “People are not calling police in domestic violence situations because they’re afraid that ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is going to be involved.”
The application period for the chief position remains open until July 15, and Councilwoman Sukh Kaur (D1) has indicated that council members will have the opportunity to recommend candidates for the eventual interview process.
Debbie Bush, co-founder of the Marquise Jones Foundation, has a personal stake in these changes. Her nephew was tragically shot and killed by an off-duty SAPD officer in 2014. She advocates for a “more stern” police chief who is willing to enforce disciplinary actions and engage with families affected by police violence. “Let those families know that you’re doing the best that you can to investigate the murders and that you’re going to follow the law or the disciplinary actions that need to be taking place with the officer,” she emphasized.
While McManus was previously the Minneapolis police chief before taking over SAPD in 2006, Bush argues for a local candidate. “If you live here in San Antonio and you know how San Antonio works, you know the ins and outs of San Antonio,” she said. “For someone to come from another city and never have been to San Antonio, how do you know how the community works? That’s the problem; we need the police departments to work with the community. And that’s not happening. They do not work with the community.”
