SAN ANTONIO — The United States Department of Justice, along with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, has awarded the City of San Antonio a $6.25 million grant that will allow the city to hire 50 new police officers over the next three years as it looks to boost its ranks.
Houston, Detroit and Cincinati were also awarded the grant.
“Public safety is a priority of the community and City Council; we have a goal of adding 360 police officers over the next three to five years and this grant award will help us achieve that goal,” said City Manager Erik Walsh in a release. “I want to thank our Federal Legislative Delegation for their efforts to advocate for our community’s needs. We are looking forward to welcoming these new officers to the San Antonio Police Department.”
City Council members and residents named public safety as one of their top priorities for the Fiscal Year 2024 budget, and the city has already added 117 police officer positions since September.
“This grant will pay for half of the 100 new officer positions that City Council approved in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget, allowing our officers more time to do proactive policing and build relationships and trust with the community we serve,” said San Antonio Police Chief William McManus in the release.
The city said with this grant, they expect to improve call response times and interactions with the community as well as bolster efforts focused on education, prevention and intervention of crime.
---
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members.