SAN ANTONIO — The end of last summer was a particularly chaotic one for San Antonio police, who in a span of a few weeks found themselves in several confrontations where gunfire was exchanged.
Many of those incidents involved suspects with violent criminal histories, sparking tensions and a brief war of words between Police Chief William McManus and District Attorney Joe Gonzales. Now their bosses have announced a new action plan created specifically "to reduce violent crime by repeat offenders in our community," citing last year's string of incidents.
"Working together, city and county officials have identified opportunities and strategies for improving criminal justice system outcomes and making our community safer for residents and law enforcement officers," Mayor Ron Nirenberg is quoted as saying in a release.
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai said in the same statement that this is "just the start of a joint effort" to better safeguard residents.
The plan identifies three immediate actions that local leaders say are the result of identifying gaps in the justice system:
- Apprehending violent criminals through collaboration between the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) and the Bexar County Sheriff's Office (BCSO).
- Increasing surveillance of violent offenders by collaborating to share information after the release of "high-profile individuals."
- Preventing the release of felony offenders by improving the flow of information between SAPD, the DA's office and the Bexar County magistrate.
The action plan also touts other actions coordinated by county agencies to reduce the number of habitual offenders on San Antonio streets, including denying bail to some violent offenders; boosting collaboration between agencies on high-profile cases; prioritizing indictment of felony cases; improving police reports and SAPD presence in the magistration process to improve flow of information; and improving case management and evidence organization.
The full action plan, available here, outlines additional ongoing initiatives including:
- Decreasing the backlog of caseloads by retaining experienced prosecutors
- Prioritizing jail cases that have been pending for over a year
- More concrete directives for when a released individual cuts off their ankle monitor
- Being transparent with the public about progress
Gonzales was perhaps the biggest target of criticism last summer by many community stakeholders – including Congressman Tony Gonzales and the head of the San Antonio police union – as officers found themselves in harm's way all around the city. That includes August 24, when a man previously released on bond for multiple crimes shot multiple officers who were pursuing him on the west side.
After McManus reffered to violent offenders as "ticking time bombs," Joe Gonzales pointed to the county's rising conviction rates and broader legislative change his office doesn't have the power to make.
A few weeks later, he and McManus came together in a show of unity to pledge close collaboration between their respective agencies.
"We both believe the only thing we need to do that's going to work is to work together," Gonzales said on Sept. 11. "So we're going to work together."
>TRENDING ON KENS 5 YOUTUBE: