They may look and act like police officers, but Detective Robert Dart and Officer Marcus Trujillo are not actually working as officers when they're on the air for KSAT 12 News.
The two San Antonio Police Department employees provide traffic reports each weekday during "Good Morning San Antonio."
But like many other officers and deputies in the area, they are working side jobs when they do it-not on the city's time clock.
"When you see them working off-duty, they're not working for the city, they're not double dipping," said SAPD spokesman, Officer Roger Zuniga, speaking about the common practice among law enforcement officers.
"Because of what they do, because of their experience a lot of times, they're requested and needed for private businesses," Zuniga said.
Zuniga said often, those side jobs might include providing traffic control for a private event, or working security.
All side jobs, he said, must be approved by the department's top brass, and there are some that actually are off limits.
"Some of these examples could be bars and clubs, inside bars and clubs, and businesses that somehow are sexually oriented," Zuniga said.
To get their jobs on TV, Dart and Trujillo said they answered an audition call that was announced department-wide.
Before becoming a police officer, Dart had gained some experience working in radio, first at a station in Corpus Christi, then as a DJ for KZEP in San Antonio.
Trujillo's prior experience involved working behind the camera. He currently works at the police academy, shooting and putting together instructional videos that are used by the department, both internally and externally.
"If you told me that one day that, not only would I be behind the scenes putting videos together, but I would be in front of the camera as well on a regular basis, I would've told you that you were nuts," Trujillo said.
Both officers work long hours in uniform, in addition to their part time jobs on the air.
While Trujillo said he often is the last person to leave the academy at night, Dart is often one of the first to arrive at the police department in the morning. "My typical week starts at 5 a.m. Sunday," Dart said. He works out of the homicide office as part of the aggravated assault team.
Dart said his duties can include anything from investigating deaths to taking statements and interviewing witnesses.
"I do a pretty good job, I guess, of separating the two when it comes to that. I don't usually bring in the whole KSAT thing," Dart said. "Every now and then, I get that, 'Hey you're the guy on TV' or, 'How do I know you?"
Trujillo, by contrast, spends much of his work day indoors, after many years spent working on the streets. "I was on patrol for a while," Trujillo said. "I was also part of the central SAFFE unit. I was involved with the graffiti intelligence. I was also involved with gathering some gang intel."
The 18-year-veteran made the decision to take the inside job when he and his wife began having children. "From time to time, I get the itch to go back out on the streets," Trujillo said. "But my wife would rather I not go back."
Although doing both jobs makes for a busy work week, both Trujillo and Dart said they enjoy it.
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