Police Chief William McManus said they will fill the vacancies in each department with SAPD officers. However, no one is losing their job.
SAN ANTONIO — The City of San Antonio will begin phasing out its Park and Airport Police departments, folding both into the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), city officials announced Wednesday.
Police Chief William McManus said the move, effective immediately, is intended to address longstanding staffing shortages within the specialized departments.
“We have a lot of trouble filling vacancies,” McManus said during a press briefing alongside City Manager Erik Walsh. “This is a business decision.”
Of the 194 budgeted positions in the Park Police department, 51 remain vacant. The Airport Police department has 12 vacancies out of 61 positions. According to McManus, those numbers have remained largely unchanged over the past year.
To address the shortfall, the city will stop hiring for Park and Airport Police roles starting Wednesday. SAPD officers will instead take over those responsibilities.
However, current Park and Airport Police officers will not lose their jobs and may continue serving in their roles as long as they choose.
While all three departments are composed of licensed Texas peace officers, Park and Airport Police do not undergo the same level of training as SAPD officers and are limited in their investigative capabilities.
“The level for SAPD is way, way up,” McManus said. “We are one of the best training police departments in the country.”
Currently, Park and Airport Police must turn over felony cases to SAPD, which McManus said creates unnecessary logistical hurdles. “They have no investigative unit,” he said. “So all that has to transition from the initial officer on the scene over to San Antonio Police.”
McManus emphasized that the reorganization is aimed at enhancing public safety.
“This is about safety,” he said. “This is to provide a level of safety that the citizens of San Antonio deserve and expect.”
Though the shift may reduce costly overtime hours currently being used to fill staffing gaps, the move is expected to increase overall costs. SAPD officers receive more generous pension benefits than their counterparts in the Park and Airport Police.