BREAKING NEWS
Former Blue Cares executive director says SAPOA leadership told her to create meeting records
Read full article: Former Blue Cares executive director says SAPOA leadership told her to create meeting recordsThe former executive director of Blue Cares, the nonprofit arm of the San Antonio Police Officers’ Association, said she was told by association leadership to create meeting records for a charitable bingo application last summer.
‘It’s a start’: SA police union supports proposed rule calling for oversight of large county district attorneys
Read full article: ‘It’s a start’: SA police union supports proposed rule calling for oversight of large county district attorneysThe Attorney General’s proposed rule could affect the Bexar County District Attorney’s office, which has been scrutinized for its handling of violent crime cases.
SA police union president calls outside involvement in Bexar County DA office policies unethical
Read full article: SA police union president calls outside involvement in Bexar County DA office policies unethicalSan Antonio Police Officers Association President Danny Diaz says the Texas Governor's Office should consider stepping in and removing DA Joe Gonzales by using HB 17, the "rogue prosecutor" law.
Police union calls out Bexar County DA’s office over treatment of former officers in court
Read full article: Police union calls out Bexar County DA’s office over treatment of former officers in courtThe San Antonio Police Officers’ Association is calling out the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office for the way former officers are treated in court.
San Antonio Police Officers’ Association takes aim at district attorney in new ‘DA Chronicles’ videos
Read full article: San Antonio Police Officers’ Association takes aim at district attorney in new ‘DA Chronicles’ videosSAPOA has released two videos highlighting what they say are missteps by the District Attorney.
After rash of violence against SAPD officers, union president calls on DA Gonzales to resign
Read full article: After rash of violence against SAPD officers, union president calls on DA Gonzales to resignDanny Diaz told KSAT Investigates in an interview Thursday that Gonzales “absolutely” should resign from office amid growing criticism of how the DA’s office prosecutes defendants.
San Antonio Police Officers Association treasurer fined $5,000 for 2021 election code violation
Read full article: San Antonio Police Officers Association treasurer fined $5,000 for 2021 election code violationThe treasurer of the San Antonio Police Officers Association has been fined by the Texas Ethics Commission for violating the Texas Election Code.
What’s bringing you to the polls on May 6 and what questions do you have for candidates?
Read full article: What’s bringing you to the polls on May 6 and what questions do you have for candidates?What issue or candidate is motivating you to vote in the May 6 election? Do you have questions or concerns for candidates about issues or ballot measures that you’d like KSAT to get answered?
Prop A, explained: What to know about the ballot measure covering pot, abortion and cite-and-release
Read full article: Prop A, explained: What to know about the ballot measure covering pot, abortion and cite-and-releaseProposition A, or the so-called "San Antonio Justice Charter," is expected to be the big draw for the May 6 election. We break down the 13-page proposed charter amendment.
Pot, abortion decriminalization look likely to make San Antonio’s May ballot
Read full article: Pot, abortion decriminalization look likely to make San Antonio’s May ballotAs of Tuesday, the coalition had collected more than 33,000 signatures and verified more than 18,000 of them so far on its own, making it likely the petition will meet the 20,000 signature threshold.
San Antonio City Council passes discipline-focused police union contract
Read full article: San Antonio City Council passes discipline-focused police union contractThe San Antonio City Council approved a new contract for San Antonio Police officers Thursday in a 8-3 vote, immediately putting the new contract into effect.
City Council to vote Thursday on new police union contract
Read full article: City Council to vote Thursday on new police union contractCouncil members’ approval is all that’s needed to implement the contract, which would last through September 2026. It includes changes to officer discipline procedures and would raise officer pay by nearly 16%.
Police union ratifies new contract; deal still requires city council approval
Read full article: Police union ratifies new contract; deal still requires city council approvalSan Antonio Police officers have approved a new union contract that would make it harder for fired cops to get their jobs back, but would also raise officers’ pay by nearly 16% over four years.
City & police union approach one year of negotiations, possibly a deal
Read full article: City & police union approach one year of negotiations, possibly a dealAfter 30 sit-downs, the contract negotiations between the City of San Antonio and the union representing San Antonio Police officers are approaching the one-year mark.
No police union contract for Christmas
Read full article: No police union contract for ChristmasThe City of San Antonio and San Antonio Police Officer’s Association (SAPOA) met Tuesday for the 28th time since their first sit-down on February 12. The two sides say they’ve made progress toward hammering out a new contract, but details on discipline, pay, and other issues remain.
Blue Santa program sees spike in demand, issues urgent plea for donations of toys, funding and volunteers
Read full article: Blue Santa program sees spike in demand, issues urgent plea for donations of toys, funding and volunteersBlue Santa provides Christmas gifts for families in need. Organizers say there are more children on Blue Santa’s list this year due to hardships from the pandemic.
Five weeks after Prop B voted down, police contract talks resume
Read full article: Five weeks after Prop B voted down, police contract talks resumeEDITOR’S NOTE - A previous story incorrectly listed the union’s pay proposal at 14 percent. It is 12 percent. The error has been corrected in the text below.
May 1, 2021 Election Results: Proposition B in San Antonio narrowly defeated
Read full article: May 1, 2021 Election Results: Proposition B in San Antonio narrowly defeatedThe most contentious item in this year’s city election came down to the wire on Saturday night as the controversial Proposition B was defeated by a little more than two percentage points.
Police union won’t rule out pre-election contract; few straight answers from council members if they’d vote on it
Read full article: Police union won’t rule out pre-election contract; few straight answers from council members if they’d vote on itAnd it appears possible that, depending on the terms, there could be enough council members willing to vote on such a deal ahead of the election. That’s when the city council is scheduled to canvas the election results and make them official. The union has expressed doubt that council members would be willing to vote on a deal while the election is happening. AdIt’s true that considering a pre-election police contract would put council members in a tight spot. KSAT contacted each council member’s office to ask about their willingness to vote on a contract before voters make their decision on Proposition B.
A look at Prop B: What happens if police bargaining power is repealed?
Read full article: A look at Prop B: What happens if police bargaining power is repealed?The debate over whether to repeal San Antonio police officers’ collective bargaining power is already in full swing, but what would the passage of Proposition B on May 1 actually do?
City and police union face divide on discipline and dollars in contract talks
Read full article: City and police union face divide on discipline and dollars in contract talksSAN ANTONIO – EDITOR’S NOTE: In the video for this story, Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez is incorrectly titled Assistant City Manager. “That is the area that we are the furthest apart,” said Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez, who is the city’s lead negotiator. However, if non-sworn city employees get raises larger than 4% during the final, the union wants its members to get them, too. It also wants the city to match any raises above 12% that the fire union gets in its next contract. The union wants that to go down to 2% increases.
‘It is a threat:’ Police union blasts proposition that would repeal SAPD’s collective bargaining rights
Read full article: ‘It is a threat:’ Police union blasts proposition that would repeal SAPD’s collective bargaining rightsSAPOA President Danny Diaz accused Fix SAPD — the organization that spearheaded the movement behind Prop B — of lying to the voters about the true intentions of the proposal. “These organizations work on a wealth of issues from fixing police contracts to supporting candidates for some of them, district attorney reform, mobilizing black voters, aiding refugee and immigrant families. But Diaz said the repeal amounts to defunding by taking away their seat at the bargaining table. Diaz also invited Alonzio Hardin, the president of the San Antonio Black Police Officers Coalition, to speak. AdREAD MORE: Protections for police officers accused of misconduct in San Antonio
Officer discipline takes center stage as city and San Antonio police union start contract talks
Read full article: Officer discipline takes center stage as city and San Antonio police union start contract talksSAN ANTONIO – As the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Police Officers Association began negotiations on a new union contract Friday, it’s already clear that much of the talks will revolve around officer discipline. “We want the final discipline to be assessed by the chief or the city manager,” Villagomez said Friday after the first meeting concluded. It’s not clear yet what the union will seek out of negotiations, though final proposals are expected by the third meeting. It took more than two years before both sides ratified the last contract. Any agreement reached at the bargaining table would have to be approved by the San Antonio City Council and the SAPOA membership before it’s a done deal.
Video, police reports, social media reveals tension between San Antonio police union and Fix SAPD reform group
Read full article: Video, police reports, social media reveals tension between San Antonio police union and Fix SAPD reform groupThe May killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police sparked international protests, including weeks of demonstrations in San Antonio. Just yelling, yelling in their faces,” said Fix SAPD Deputy Director Ananda Tomas, who added that it was far from an isolated incident. It impacts us in a great way when we have a bully that just will not let San Antonio be, will not let San Antonio speak.”Ad“(SAPOA is) a club. Back SA Blue social media accounts have used pictures of Fix SAPD petitioners in many of their posts. Martin said any repeal measures pushed by Fix SAPD would only apply to SAPD, and not to other first responders in San Antonio.
Group claims police union threatened petitioners looking to change SAPD
Read full article: Group claims police union threatened petitioners looking to change SAPDSAN ANTONIO – Members of group whose say their goal is to hold bad San Antonio police officers accountable want to refute what they say are “false claims” about them. The San Antonio Coalition for Police Accountability says it plans to call out the San Antonio Police Officers Association at a press event set for Saturday. Fix SAPD is currently campaigning to gather enough signatures from citizens to revoke two laws that they say weaken officer accountability. And I personally know these people that are all from San Antonio,” Salas said. Salas said SAPOA has falsely claimed Fix SAPD was being funded by dark money, and that their petitioners were threatening people.
New San Antonio police union leader accuses reformers of ‘trying to divide our city’
Read full article: New San Antonio police union leader accuses reformers of ‘trying to divide our city’The chief has been vocal in his opposition to the current union contract and how it cuts into his ability to discipline officers. The current contract expires after September but could be temporarily extended if a new agreement isn’t reached by then. Chief McManus said late last year that the current contract and state laws “protect bad officers” in an interview with KSAT. When asked about Monday’s joint press conference, City Manager Erik Walsh said the following a statement:“The key message from the press conference is that both SAPOA and the City of San Antonio are looking to improve the working relationship for the benefit of the community. Police accountability and transparency remains the top priority for the City in both the Collective Bargaining Agreement and upcoming Texas Legislative Session.
Approval of local law enforcement leadership dips slightly in latest poll, remains high
Read full article: Approval of local law enforcement leadership dips slightly in latest poll, remains highSAN ANTONIO – Editor’s note: This story is part of a series reporting on the latest Bexar Facts poll. Leadership from local law enforcement agencies saw a slight dip in their approval ratings but remained largely popular, according to the latest Bexar Facts-KSAT-San Antonio Report. Voters generally approve of San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, and the San Antonio Police Officers Association. The Bexar Facts-KSAT-San Antonio report poll found that of those people surveyed in September, 61% believe local police are fair and impartial when enforcing the law. (KSAT)Of the people surveyed in September, 56% said local police officers have good relationships with communities of color in San Antonio.
San Antonio police union faces calls for reform as 2 petitions circulate
Read full article: San Antonio police union faces calls for reform as 2 petitions circulateThe special found that between 2010 and 2019, two-thirds of SAPD officers who were fired ended up getting their jobs back. Allowing bad police officers to still wear that badge and still wear that uniform is actually a disservice to good police officers, Martin said. Its actually sad because a lot of these issues we can resolve at the negotiating table, said Mike Helle, president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association. She said she feels the only SAPD officers who would quit are the ones with bad intentions. The petitions will have to have tens of thousands of signatures, and only then will the possible repeals be put before San Antonio voters in the May 2021 election.
How each San Antonio City Council member says they would change police collective bargaining agreement
Read full article: How each San Antonio City Council member says they would change police collective bargaining agreementLike other major cities, San Antonio is locked in to a collective bargaining agreement with the local police union, the San Antonio Police Officers Association. AdFor example, in San Antonio, officers accused of misconduct are allowed a 48-hour notice before any interview takes place. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus also sees problems with the collective bargaining agreement and a few state laws that are in place. While all city council members agree that things need to change when the city negotiates the next collective bargaining agreement in 2021, some have different views on how the issue should be approached. The collective bargaining agreement does not distinguish among types of errors – failing to file paperwork or excessive use of force.
Mike Helle, longtime president of San Antonio Police Officers Association, to step down at end of term
Read full article: Mike Helle, longtime president of San Antonio Police Officers Association, to step down at end of termSAN ANTONIO Detective Mike Helle, the longtime president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association, confirmed to KSAT Thursday that he will step down at the end of his current term. Helle told KSAT by phone Thursday that he will step down when his current term ends next February and he will also retire from the San Antonio Police Department with the rank of detective. In San Antonio, police officers who were fired ultimately were granted reinstatement in 67.5% of cases in the last decade, according to data obtained by KSAT under public information law. Helle was first elected president in 2008 and is the first president in the associations history to be elected then re-elected five times. A request for comment from the San Antonino Police Department and Mayor Ron Nirenberg was not immediately returned.