City confirms 2026 will be the final year for the longest‑serving SAPD chief, who plans to remain in the role through fall.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Police Chief William McManus plans to retire by September 2026, ending nearly 20 years at the helm of the city’s police department, city leaders announced Friday.
McManus, the longest‑serving police chief in San Antonio’s history, will continue to lead the department through his final year to ensure stability and a smooth transition, according to a city statement. No additional details were immediately released about the process to select his successor.
McManus has served as chief since April 17, 2006, overseeing a department with more than 2,000 sworn officers and more than 800 civilian employees. City officials credited him with leading the department through periods of rapid population growth and change while emphasizing collaboration, professionalism and community trust.
“Serving the City of San Antonio has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” McManus said in a statement. “Together, we have strengthened trust and advanced public safety. I remain fully committed to this work through my final year and to supporting a smooth and thoughtful transition.”
City Manager Erik Walsh praised McManus’ leadership, saying it helped shape public safety efforts locally and beyond.
“His dedication to service and collaboration has positioned the Department well for the future,” Walsh said.
Before coming to San Antonio, McManus served as police chief in Minneapolis from 2004 to 2006 and in Dayton, Ohio, from 2001 to 2004. He began his law enforcement career in 1975 with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., where he rose through the ranks to assistant chief.
McManus briefly left SAPD in 2015 to serve as senior director of security for CPS Energy but returned later that year before a new permanent chief was hired.
McManus is a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute and the Senior Management Institute for Police at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and a master’s degree in management from Johns Hopkins University.
Additional information about leadership transition plans is expected to be released at a later date.