SAN ANTONIO – In a unanimous decision, council members voted to postpone a resolution in todays city council meeting supporting the hiring of more officers in 2027.
“This is an issue of the fact that we don’t have endless resources.” said San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones.
The City of San Antonio paid for an independent study in 2023 that recommended hiring 65 officers a year so they would have more time to patrol neighborhoods. This year, the city only hired 40 officers amid a budget shortfall.
“You add the officers first, then you build the rest of the budget around it,” said Councilman Marc Whyte.
Whyte also pointed to a UTSA study that found officers on the ground significantly reduce crime.
“The more people can see that, they understand that we need more police on the streets of San Antonio,” said Whyte.
Others, like Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran, brought up a SAPD reports showing crime rates falling. She supported postponing the discussion to see if new technology and community programs could help instead.
“Do we need more officers? I’m pretty sure we will need more officers. Do we need to commit to a full 65? Not if we can get technology that has 30 officers doing what 65 can do,” said Viagran.
Viagran added that if push comes to shove, she will still prioritize manpower.
The city will discuss the resolution at the first public safety committee meeting in May and will consider adopting a 2027 budget in September.