SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Police Officers Association said Tuesday that it opposes the city's annexation plans, citing the under-staffing of 183 officers in the San Antonio Police Department.
In August, the city announced six new areas under consideration for annexation. They are:
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- The Scenic Loop area north of Loop 1604 on the Northwest Side
- On the far West Side outside Loop 1604 near Culebra and Shaenfield roads
- Near Potranco and Tally roads north of Highway 90 and west of Loop 1604
- Areas to the north of Loop 1604 near U.S. 281 and Evans Road
- An area east of Interstate 10 near Crestway
- Areas near Highway 181 and Old Corpus Christi Road on the Southeast Side
These areas, along with phases one and two of the city's annexation plan, would grow San Antonio by more than 150-square-miles. The land in the six new areas is 50 percent built out, so the City Council will be considering limited purpose annexation. If approved, the total number of areas under consideration for annexation would increase to 11.
SAPOA said that an additional 165 officers would be needed to cover a 66.9-square mile portion of the proposed annexation areas.
The association also cited concerns over response times and the ability to find qualified candidates. Click here to read the full statement.
“It's mind boggling to imagine the city proposing to annex additional communities when they do not have enough police officers to handle the land and citizens they have now. It's dangerous and frankly, it puts every citizen’s life in jeopardy," SAPOA president Michael Helle said, in part.
The U.S. 281 North Opposition to Annexation Group held a meeting last month to discuss potential annexation. During the meeting, fire and EMS officials voiced concerns over slower response times.
"The problem is I live in this area, my family lives in this area," said Tom White, deputy chief of the Bexar Bulverde Volunteer Fire Department. "And the fact that I'm paying 5 cents per $100 value of my house now for the level of fire protection I'm having now which is great and now, I'm going to pay 62 cents for a lesser level of fire protection."
San Antonio planning director John Dugan said in August that the population of the six new proposed areas is expected to grow from 40,000 people to about 120,000 in the next 20 years.
"The revenues are a little bit more than the expenditures after about three years, so that would help benefit the city and help pay for the services in the city that people in those neighborhoods use in the city right now, but really don't pay property tax for," Dugan said.
The city's planning and public input process is expected to play out over the next two years.