Bass, Caruso differ on crime issues and policing — but not as much as many think
The San Antonio Police Department may not be in as much trouble as is being portrayed in the police-misconduct debate.
Many people believe the Police Department faces a crisis of discipline and policing, that the city cannot solve its crime problems, and that police officers’ safety could be at risk if they return to street duty.
Both the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office and the San Antonio Police Officers Union say otherwise.
One group says the Police Department is a model for police professionalism. The other group is suggesting that officers return to the streets to solve crimes.
District Attorney Susan Reed recently accused City Atty. Dan Zavala, whose office is investigating complaints against three officers for allegedly falsifying records, of misleading the public and the media.
But Bexar County Commissioners Joe Krier and Steve Radack on Thursday night praised the district attorney’s office for its thoroughness in its work. Reed had requested help from the DA’s office and Zavala, who is also the city manager, because of the large number of civil suits filed against police officers.
She said the city has not received any new investigations from the DA’s office related to issues raised by the civil suits.
“The city is committed to a thorough and independent investigation, and as the citizens of San Antonio, they have every right to expect this,” Reed said.
District Attorney Reed’s office has not yet responded to a request for comment from The Chronicle.
The police union and city attorney have been battling over officer complaints for nearly a year. They disagree on a range of issues, including how to discipline officers for misconduct.
Police Chief William McManus addressed those differences in an investigative documentary, “Body of Lies: How the Police Whistleblower Program Failed Me,” that the union filed last spring.
“All of this is about the