Staffing shortages and other issues will be the focus of collective bargaining talks in the new year.
SAN ANTONIO — In an increasingly dangerous age, the leader of the San Antonio Police Officers Association is sharing his concerns for public safety, both for citizens and the officers whose job it is to protect everyone.
“We’ve had 20 officers shot in 3 years,” Danny Diaz said. “That’s way too many, you know, on an average historically we might have one or two maybe every five-to-seven years, because of the nature of the job, but it’s been over the last three years.”
Diaz said his concerns extend to everyone.
“It’s not only the officers, it’s the citizens of San Antonio. There’s so many people being shot. I mean every weekend is like a constant,” Diaz said.
Diaz said the climate seems to be increasingly dangerous.
“Officers are hesitant in doing their job and I’ll give you a prime example of what transpired at the court hearing this past week,” Diaz said.
Diaz recounted an exchange when an attorney questioned an officer who was testifying in the Melissa Perez pre-trial proceedings.
Three former police officers are on trial in connection with her shooting death during a mental health disturbance involving vandalism.
Diaz said of the officer being questioned, “If an individual hit him in the head with a hammer and killed him, they would be justified because he was in an apartment that he shouldn’t have been. But what that prosecutor forgets is there was a call for a felony act.”
“He basically okays it for anyone to murder a police officer if they’re in their house, even though they [police] have the legal right to be there,” Diaz said, calling it an absurd position and he said there is a remedy to conflicts with armed people.
The most pressing issue, Diaz said, is being understaffed.
“The problem is officers actually making calls, there are only about 1,040, so there’s not enough officers out here actually handling calls,” Diaz said. “So getting back to not being able to be proactive, they’re going from call to call to call to handle this and aren’t able to patrol those high crime areas to deter crime.”
Of actual boots on the ground, Diaz said. “I know the city has put out that we have 2,890 officers… but some of those are at the police academy currently… so those are budgetary numbers.”
Of the effort to keep up, Diaz continued, “I’ll give you an example. In 1991, we had 1,920 officers. As of today, we have 2,558.”
“When I first started, I was taught that that the number one thing in crime prevention is visibility. It’s kind of hard when you can’t find officers because there’s not enough to go around,” Diaz said. “We don’t have enough officers to cover each other and there’s not enough officers to help the community.”
Diaz claims because of safety concerns, the department has stopped executing high risk warrants.
“I think the idea of retreat and de-escalate,” Diaz said. “It’s great on certain situations, but at some point, officers have to take control of the situation.”
Recruiting new officers and keeping officers who are eligible to retire.
Diaz said, “Back in between 1993 and 1996, 1997 we had mass hirings like we’re doing now, four to five classes, and all of those individuals are of retirement age or eligibility.”
A huge continuing concern, Diaz said, is “getting this department back on track safety wise.”
“There was a study that we’re the least safest city in the state of Texas and I haven’t heard that in my 30-year career, as being the least safest. That’s not San Antonio,” Diaz said enthusiastically.
The numbers apparently came from a recent effort by the SmartAsset group, which looked at violent crimes, property crimes, drug overdose deaths and excessive drinking.
Diaz said, “We need to band together and take care of each other. You see something, say something. I know it’s a cliche, but we need help to start protecting this community. Because at some point it’s going to get worse if we don’t and our officers are doing their due diligence and working their backsides off to make sure that this community is safe and we will continue to do that. That’s our job, but we just need a little bit of help.”
All of these issues and more are likely to receive much more attention as the association and the city head into contract talks early next year.
The city’s website indicates the current collective bargaining agreement expires September 30, 2026. Diaz said he hopes to have an agreement in place and move forward long before the deadline.
The current agreement, which is available for review online, is a 218-page document that addresses pay rates, benefits, hours and other terms of employment.
Even though Texas is a right to work state, the City Attorney’s web page indicates San Antonio voters approved collective bargaining for fire and police back in 1974 and the current agreement covers the period from May 2022 through next September.