McManus: West Side block walk has ‘nothing to do with no confidence vote'

McManus walks with community members around their neighborhood on Good Friday

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Police Chief William McManus joined West Side residents as they walked their neighborhood on Good Friday.

It's a community the chief has been working with to cut down on crime, and its members call themselves McManus supporters.

Christina Gomez has lived in her West Side neighborhood for 16 years now.

"We've been very blessed," she said.

She's a member of Christ the King Catholic Church right around the corner. Church and community members joined together on Good Friday to walk the neighborhood with a cross and bless homes along the way.

"We're calling it ‘Walk the Neighborhood with Jesus,’" Gomez said.

McManus was invited to the event. When he stopped to talk with reporters, he made it clear he's walked with those community members many times before and he was not there Friday because of Thursday's "no confidence vote." 

"I'm here all the time. I'm out and about all the time. This is not about yesterday. Nothing is about yesterday," he said.

He said he's been working closely with that neighborhood to cut down on crime.

"Prostitution is a big crime, you have home burglaries happening, then of course we have drugs," Gomez said.

She says McManus and SAFE officers have held community meetings to offer suggestions.

"Neighbors watching out for neighbors. If something happens learn how and what to do, and what not to do when a crime is actually happening," Gomez explained. "We're cleaning up a lot of the alleyways 

Gomez has heard police union leaders say McManus is disconnected with officers and the community, but she doesn't agree.

"He has a lot of support here. Nothing is going to be run 100 percent smoothly but it's a team effort. So he needs the support of fellow officers, of city management and of course the council members," she said.

She said the politics don't matter to her. She said what's most important is that she sees officers present in her community, willing to help make it safer.


About the Author:

Courtney Friedman anchors KSAT’s weekend evening shows and reports during the week. Her ongoing Loving in Fear series confronts Bexar County’s domestic violence epidemic. She joined KSAT in 2014 and is proud to call the SA and South Texas community home. She came to San Antonio from KYTX CBS 19 in Tyler, where she also anchored & reported.