A major change was announced Monday for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office as part of the collective bargaining agreement -- no more arbitration, and the deputy discipline and appeals process is changing significantly.

Editor’s note: This story is part of KSAT Defenders’ “Broken Blue” investigative series digging into misconduct and disciplinary procedure in the San Antonio Police Department. San Antonio’s collective bargaining agreement includes many protections that some scholars have deemed problematic. Prior history can be used as evidence if the allegations include "violence, substance abuse and incompetence,” according to the collective bargaining agreement. In San Antonio, the current SAPD Collective Bargaining Agreement prescribes that the city will defend any police officer, in and out of court, who lawfully carried out duties. “Clearly, the current collective bargaining agreement limits the Chief’s ability to appropriately discipline officers that deserve to be disciplined.