SAN ANTONIO — Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar has an idea, one he says he recently pitched to state lawmakers. And it's an idea that could alter the landscape of law enforcement transparency in the Lone Star State.
“I think there should be something in state law that forces the hand of chief law enforcement officers,” Salazar said.
The sheriff says he wants criminal penalties for law enforcement leaders who do not give the real reason a peace officer leaves their respective agency.
F5 is a form used to discharge an officer from duty, whether honorably, dishonorably or generally. Salazar said that, to avoid the headache of a long drawn-out process, some leaders may sign off on troubled cops to get them out the door.
“I can’t help but think that, somewhere out there, there’s cops floating around that somewhere, somebody along the line (will) cut a deal with,” he said. “'You resign today. I’ll give you a clean F5 and you can go out somewhere else and work.'"
According to Salazar, that process does not serve the community well.
His proposal remains a suggestion, at least at this point. But it comes as Bexar County is working on a collective bargaining agreement with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County.
Last week, county commissioners approved a resolution affirming a desire for police reform following intense protests across the country and in San Antonio in recent weeks.
The resolution, while still a fluid document, calls for the creation of a registry of fired deputies, mandatory body cameras on all BCSO deputies, the elimination of racial profiling, de-escalation training, sturdier psychological and drug evaluations, and the establishment of a citizens’ review board.
“Everyone comes to the table with a wish list,” the deputy association said. “We will try to come to an outcome that best fits deputies and our constituents.”