A new five-year strategic plan from San Marcos PD lays out key priorities for the department, including safety, staffing and connecting with the community.
SAN MARCOS, Texas — The San Marcos Police Department (SMPD) is asking the community to weigh in on its priorities over the next few years. This week the department released the first draft of a new strategic five-year plan.
The plan focuses on several key priorities like safety, staffing and how officers work in high-stress situations. Back in 2020, the department released its first strategic plan, which San Marcos Chief of Police Stan Standridge said made a big difference.
“I believe that the police department can be very effective if we apply some intentionality,” Standridge said.
SMPD’s top priorities
The plan’s first focus is centered around staffing, which the city has already asked an outside agency to evaluate. Standridge said they need more officers, and he expects the data to reflect that. A draft report is expected from Matrix Consulting this month. He said once they get those results, the department will work with the city to figure out the next steps.
Another key priority of the plan is on operating with professionalism and respect. San Marcos PD is the first agency in Texas already undergoing a 12-month training program around emotional regulation.
“We can’t afford to be emotionally hijacked,” Standridge said. “When police officers are hijacked, then typically we have less than desirable outcomes.”
The third priority is better connecting with the community, which Standridge said they have a 12-month plan for. Each month, will be meeting with a different neighborhood to understand what they need from them.
“We’re in these neighborhoods constantly, but it’s not always for the purpose of relationship building trying to establish that mutual respect and trust, and so that’s what these meetings will try to achieve,” Standridge said.
They also plan to launch a new X page to provide timely updates during critical incidents and will be documenting the success of these communications.
Finally, the plan highlights proactively addressing safety, by acquiring a new evidence-based methodology officers will follow come 2026.
Community feedback
Over the past year, Standridge said violent crime has risen by 13%. During Halloween weekend, San Marcos PD investigated four separate shootings, including one downtown.
Matt Winters, a San Marcos resident was in the area when the shooting happened, and said he was impressed with the officers’ quick response, but has a few ideas to improve safety in downtown.
“I think that maybe blocking some of the areas off and just doing a weapons check,” Winters said.
Another suggestion from Winters is for the police department to have a broader awareness campaign so residents, especially college students, know how and when to contact police.
“They don’t really know what number to call and what’s the non-emergency,” Winters said. “They don’t really know what situation to get police involved in.”
It’s ideas like this the department is looking for, as they are working to finalize this strategic plan.
This week they’ll be holding two community sessions for people to provide feedback in person at the San Marcos Activity Center. The first will be this Thursday at 6 p.m., and the second will be Saturday at 2 p.m. You can also send your comments directly to the police department.
San Marcos police hope to have the five-year plan finished by January, but they said it won’t be permanently fixed. They’ll be evaluating it constantly over the next few years to see what works and what doesn’t.