Your Tax Dollars at Work!
If we ever needed more proof that Mayor Nirenberg and City Manager Sculley have no problem spending money on a losing cause, a new analysis by the office of Councilman Greg Brockhouse shows just how much the City has spent on a losing lawsuit against San Antonio First Responders.
As of April 1st, the total cost of all “evergreen clause” lawsuits against police and fire is $1,173,642.32. City-employed attorney are also not apparently good enough, so the City Manager has hired an outside legal team made up of high-priced lawyers, many of whom also happen to be old friends and associates. These attorneys representing the City at the Texas Supreme Court may collectively bill San Antonio taxpayers at a rate of $3,010.00 per hour!
After already losing in lower courts, the City is now appealing to the Texas Supreme Court alleging evergreen clauses are unconstitutional. This is strange, though, because the City recently signed an eight-year contract with the San Antonio Police Officers’ Association that includes an evergreen clause.
Nevertheless, the costs of the City’s lawsuit against the San Antonio Professional Firefighter’s Association are overwhelmingly high and out of control. The mayor says he wants to negotiate, but our position has been clear from the beginning: drop the lawsuit and firefighters will be at the table.
While firefighters suffer the most from this, this also affects taxpayers. To prevent more cost to taxpayers, the City must drop the lawsuit, because the only people winning are the lawyers.
New Billboards Regarding Public Safety Now Up
Check out our new billboards! This is an important public safety issue! Let us know what you think.
Accused Human Smuggler Released Chief McManus’ Poor Leadership & Decisions Bear Fruit
Chief McManus’ decision to release 12 undocumented immigrants, detained in a human smuggling incident last December, into the city without properly and thoroughly identifying them may have led to yesterday’s decision by the District Attorney to free the driver of the 18-wheeler they were found in.
District Attorney LaHood said that to bring a case to the Grand Jury, “We have to establish a money relationship…We have to understand the intent of the driver was to smuggle people and hide it from authorities.” This may have been made more difficult without statements from the people in the 18-wheeler, which was impossible due to the Police Chief’s orders that San Antonio Police Detectives not question the detained individuals and his further order that they be released that same night. The Chief’s actions on Dec. 23rd were not in line with established State and Federal laws and procedures, and may have risked the safety of the community by releasing unknown individuals, engaged in an illegal act, into the community.
It’s unfortunate that the Chief’s actions may have led to yesterday’s release of the driver, who incidentally was also a person of interest in a similar case earlier last year where some of the people being smuggled died, including one MS-13 gang member. The Chief’s actions are now under investigation by the Texas Attorney General. It’s imperative, for the safety of our Officers and the general public, that everyone, no matter what their rank or political leanings, follow the law.
[LINK TO FOX 29 NEWS, 04/05/2018: http://foxsanantonio.com//news/local/district-attorney-lahood-speaks-about-alleged-smugglers-release-from-jail]
Appeals Court Upholds SB 4, Ban on “Sanctuary Cities”
Last month, a federal appeals court upheld key provisions of Senate Bill 4, the law that creates civil penalties for government officials who limit local police enforcement of immigration laws and imposes criminal penalties for officials who don’t honor immigration detainer requests at jails.
Despite the ruling, however, it appears some city leaders are heeding the calls of immigration activists who are urging city officials to “risk it” and ignore the law. For instance, at a rally in March in front of City Hall, with people calling on the city to change their policies in order to minimize the impact of SB 4, City Councilman Rey Saldaña questioned whether or not people should cooperate with local law enforcement, saying: “…I don’t know the answers about how they should interact with law enforcement,” and then adding, without any supporting evidence, that compliance with SB 4 means people “may not report issues going on in the neighborhood.”
Councilman Saldaña’s statements last month come on the heels of actions by Police Chief William McManus on the night of December 23, 2017 in which he may have violated established procedures and state and federal laws pertaining to human smuggling and trafficking. In this incident, which is currently under investigation by the Texas Attorney General, the Police Chief, in what the Express-News called an “unusual decision,” released twelve undocumented immigrants, who were in his custody, without properly and thoroughly identifying them. At his explicit order, the procedures followed by police officers handling this case were opposite of those followed in a similar case earlier in the year. In explaining the different treatment of the case, including the exclusion of Homeland Security from the investigation as is required by state and federal law, Chief McManus stated, “it’s not necessarily how every case will be handled going forward.”
The mission of the San Antonio Police Officers Association is to support Police Officers and ensure their fair treatment by city officials. When officers receive mixed messages from the city leaders about how and whether they should follow established laws and procedures, it makes their job more difficult and that impacts public safety.
Our message to City leaders is simple: follow the law, not politics, and support our officers by not sending conflicting messages to the community about whether or not they should follow the law and cooperate with local law enforcement.
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1 Express-News, “After SB 4 ruling activists call for local government to take action,” March 14, 2018.
2 Express-News, “After SB 4 ruling activists call for local government to take action,” March 14, 2018.
3 Express-News, “McManus: Police did not have jurisdiction to detain migrants,” January 4, 2018.
Acting ICE director speaks on human smuggling incident handled by San Antonio police
The acronym ICE, which stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, brings fear to some and a sense of protection for others in this country.
It was the summer of 2003 when Thomas Homan had been reassigned to Washington D.C. after four years in San Antonio. Then, a trailer with 70 people inside was found on a desolate patch of highway near Victoria. Nineteen of those inside had died, including a 5-year-old boy. Homan’s superiors at Homeland Security sent him back to Texas as the lead investigator.
“I still get emotional when I talk about it. I had a 5-year-old little boy during that time. I walked amongst those bodies and it’s a terrible thing to see. That’s when people question me why I’m so passionate and emotional about this issue. About sanctuary cities and border crime and so forth. I’ve seen what I’ve seen,” Homan said.
Now he’s the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and says he uses that memory to discuss the price of human smuggling – if not investigated and prosecuted. That’s why he was concerned when he heard about 12 undocumented immigrants, including a minor, found in a trailer in San Antonio on December 23, 2017.
CLICK HERE to read the full story.
SAPOA Letter To Mayor Ron Nirenberg & City Council
VIEW FULL PDF HERE
Texas Open Carry Law: What You Should Know
As of January 1, 2016, owners of a concealed handgun license were allowed the right to openly carry their firearms in a shoulder or hip holster.
Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 910 on June 13, 2015 allowing Texans who are properly licensed to openly carry a handgun.
No matter what your stance on the law is, it’s important to know the facts. The general rule of thumb is that the existing rules and regulations under Texas’ concealed handgun law now apply to open carry. However, let’s take a look at the components of the law and get a refresher on the requirements to obtain a license.
The Law
Texas is the 45th state to pass the open carry law and only the 15th to require a license or permit to do so.
The new law doesn’t mean that just anyone can go buy a handgun and carry it around in a holster; people still have to apply for a state-issued license, just as if they were going to carry a concealed firearm. Below is a quick reference guide to the new law and what it entails.
- Authorizes people with the proper license to carry their weapon in the same places that allow licensed carrying of a concealed handgun with some exceptions (see below).
- Unconcealed handguns, loaded or not, must be carried in a shoulder or belt holster.
- Individuals who hold a valid CHL may continue to carry with valid existing license.
- Individuals currently licensed will not be required to attend additional training.
- The training curriculum for new applicants has been updated to reflect new requirements related to the use of restraint holsters and methods to ensure the secure carrying of openly carried handguns.
- The eligibility and criteria to obtain a license to carry do not change with the new law.
- Open carry is NOT permitted by a license holder regardless of whether the handgun is holstered on the premises of an institution of higher education or on the premises of a privately owned business with the proper signage.
- Under the law, officers can ask to see an individual’s handgun license. However, they are not permitted to ask to see your license simply because you are carrying. Just like driving a car, there must be reasonable suspicion of a crime or that the person is unlicensed.
The requirements for obtaining a carry license are still as follows:
- Individual must be 21 years or older to apply, or 18 and older if active duty in the military.
- The applicant must complete a four-hour class on the rights and responsibilities of carrying a firearm, including non-violent conflict resolution and interactions with law enforcement.
- The applicant must also pass a 50-shot timed performance test and a 25-question written test.
People who are barred from licensing include those under age 21, felons, fugitives, people who are “chemically dependent” or “incapable of exercising sound judgment”, and those in debt for taxes or child support.
Combatting Controversy
Some have expressed concern that the law will increase Texas’s crime rate, while others don’t think the open carry law will have much of an impact on it– partly because concealed handgun license holders haven’t had much of an impact on crime up to this point.
Concealed carry became law in Texas in 1995. Brooks Colson, the owner of Heart of Texas Guns in Abilene, TX, said concerns about open carry are just hype; much like concerns surrounding concealed carry 20 years ago.
“When we passed concealed carry in the state of Texas, the naysayers [said] there will be a bloodbath every time someone blows their horn in traffic, et cetera,” Colson said. “[That] didn’t happen.”
Gov. Abbott adds that open carry hasn’t posed a problem in the other 44 states that have allowed it before us. Following up, he also said he trusts Texans to do the right thing. “Texans are responsible,” Abbott said.
Though open carry is in effect, private businesses can still ban handguns or open carrying as long as the correct signs are posted. However, if a business does not prominently post the required signage, by default, it is allowing the display of handguns in its establishment. For information on correct signage, you can visit the following website: http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/PE/htm/PE.30.htm
In addition to the open carry law, Gov. Abbott also signed a bill that allows licensed handgun owners to carry concealed handguns on the campuses of public colleges and universities. The campus carry law goes into effect August 1, 2016.
(Source: KTXS and TX DPS)
SAPD Offers Safe Exchange Zones for Craigslist Users
Craigslist is a great tool for finding inexpensive stuff or getting awesome deals on otherwise expensive items. Over the years, however, it’s gotten a bad rap due to the increased amount of ‘sketchy’ people using the site as a platform to take advantage of others. There have been several reports of people being mugged, robbed, and even worse in some parts of the U.S. The old rule of “make your deals in public” just isn’t good enough any more. Due to the rise in crime, people should be cautious and smart about how they make deals on Craigslist and what private information is shared.
To provide a safe space for Craigslist users buying or selling goods, the San Antonio City Council along with SAPD has approved Safe Exchange Zones for these transactions.
The Safe Exchange Zones are located at six police substations across San Antonio. At each of the zones police are on duty and there are designated parking spaces for exchanges that are under 24-hour surveillance. They are also welcoming users to meet up in one of the substation lobbies if you feel more comfortable.
City Councilman Mike Gallagher, who spearheaded the measure, said it was long overdue.
“I am grateful that the San Antonio Police Department is willing to open their substations for this opportunity. With the establishment of Safe Exchange Zones, not only will our residents be afforded an opportunity to safely conduct e-commerce exchanges with strangers, but they will also have the opportunity to meet their neighborhood patrol officers,” he said in a press release.
Safe Exchange Zones:
Central substation- 515 South Frio, 78207
East substation- 3635 East Houston Street (Rosa Parks Way), 78219
North substation- 13030 Jones Maltsberger Rd, 78247
Prue substation- 5020 Prue Road, 78240
South substation- 711 W. Mayfield, 78211
West substation- 7000 Culebra, 78238
Source: SACurrent.com
Can First Responders Find Your Emergency Contact?
If you find yourself in an emergency situation where you are unable to give the first responder the right emergency information, how do you think they are going to find it? You might be surprised to find out that it is not by looking it up on your cell phone.
Thanks to social media and other information outlets, most people believe that a police officer will find your emergency contact by using the “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) contact label on your mobile phone. Many people diligently keep the label updated under the false impression that it will help.
“That’s going to be the last resort that we go to is by calling people. Typically, we’ll try to notify people in person,” San Antonio Police Detective Jason Aicher said.
Why can’t they just look it up? You may be surprised to know that the San Antonio Police don’t have the authority to identify a deceased person. This job is left to the medical examiner. And in the case of a trauma, the responsibility goes to the hospital to which the victim is taken. It is the hospital staff that notifies the family or emergency contact.
So what’s the best way to keep your loved ones informed in case of an emergency? Your drivers license. In 2014, a new “emergency contact” feature was added to the State of Texas drivers license records.
“What this does is it allows us to have this information handy in the case of a major crash or fatality,” DPS Sgt. Jason Reyes said. “We want the public to know that this information is out there.”
As of now, this feature is only available to those drivers getting new licenses or renewing their old ones. A plan is in the works to make this feature available online to every licensed Texas driver sometime in the near future.
(source: KSAT.com)
Press Release: SAPOA To Speak Up on City Issues
The San Antonio Police Officers Association issued a press release today highlighting their intention to engage on any issues, policies, or politicians that threaten Public Safety.
SAPOA cannot stand by while the City Manager and her team attack police officers and firefighters. NO MORE. NOT ON OUR WATCH.
Read the press release:
