SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus announced his retirement Friday, but plans to stay in his role through the end of September, records obtained by KSAT Investigates show.
City Manager Erik Walsh thanked McManus, 74, “for his unwavering dedication to the Department and our community,” in an email sent to city staff Friday morning.
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McManus sent a statement to colleagues Friday morning as well. KSAT Investigates obtained the statement.
“After 20 years as Chief, working with the fantastic men and women of SAPD, Park and Airport Police, a great city management team under (City Manager) Erik Walsh, and unwavering community support, I have decided to retire in September helping with the transition in the meantime,” McManus’ said in his statement. “From DC, to Dayton, to Minneapolis, SATX has been the best! Keep up the great work and stay safe!”
The city also confirmed McManus’ departure in a Friday morning news release.
McManus was hired as chief in early 2006 after stints as chief of police for the Minneapolis Police Department, chief of police for the Dayton Police Department in Ohio, and assistant chief of police for the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. — the department where he started his law enforcement career in 1975.
He left SAPD for nine months in 2015 for a job as CPS Energy’s senior director of security but was rehired in October of that year to take the reins back from then-interim chief Anthony Treviño, his former deputy chief.
Through her spokesperson, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones reacted to McManus’ announcement.
“The City of San Antonio is grateful for Chief McManus’ many years of service, and I appreciate his decades long commitment to keeping San Antonio safe,” Jones said in a statement.
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Jones in recent months has repeatedly refused to publicly back McManus and city officials have taken steps to block the release of information related to the mayor’s communication with city leaders about the chief.
Councilman Marc Whyte (D10) told KSAT on Friday that over approximately the past six months “you’d hear the occasional person mention something,” but the majority of people were in favor of the chief staying on and were “very happy” with his work.
“Again, nobody really ever used the word ‘replacement,’” Whyte said. “But again, you would hear different council members at some points wonder, you know, is the chief the right person to continue to lead the department? But again, most of the time, it was all very, very positive.”
“I, as a young leader, do believe in opportunity for the next one to come in. And so, there was nothing souring the relationship, but just given his number of years of service, given his how much he’s done, I think he — we were just wondering when his time would be if he wanted to retire,” said Councilwoman Sukh Kaur (D1).
Asked Friday whether “we” meant council members, Kaur said “folks in the community as well.”
The San Antonio Police Officers Association, which is scheduled to begin negotiations with the city on a new collective bargaining agreement later this year, weighed whether to hold a vote of no confidence on the chief before SAPOA leadership ultimately decided against it.
The push for the vote came after three SAPD officers were found not guilty in November for the 2023 shooting death of Melissa Perez.
Fellow officers had criticized McManus for what they described as a rush to criminally charge the officers in the controversial shooting case.
McManus’ tenure in San Antonio will last just under 20 years.
That length of tenure is largely unprecedented for a chief in a major U.S. city.
According to a city news release, additional information on transition planning would be shared at an “appropriate time.”
The city manager is responsible for appointing a police chief, but state law requires the city council to confirm the choice.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
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