San Antonio Standard

Bexar County and the City of San Antonio have developed a Public Safety Action Plan to reduce violent crime by repeat offenders in our community after a string of incidents between law enforcement and repeat offenders’ last fall.

The Public Safety Action Plan identifies gaps in the criminal justice system and implements immediate actions that the County and the City will collaborate on to reduce the number of repeat violent offenders on the streets. Actions include:

1. Apprehending violent criminals through collaboration between San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) Covert Unit and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) STOP Program.
2. Increasing monitoring of violent offenders by sharing information following release of high-profile individuals to supervision.
3. Preventing release of felony offenders by improving information-sharing between arresting officer, District Attorney’s Office (DA), and County Magistrate.

The plan also identifies short-term and long-term actions that county agencies will lead that are crucial to reduce the number of repeat violent offenders in our community.

• Denial of bail to certain violent offenders. Judge Ron Rangel will lead the development of strategy to identify arrestees immediately following arrest and coordinate with San Antonio Police (SAPD), Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BSCO), and the District Attorney’s (DA) Office for consideration of denial of bail.
• Enhance interagency collaboration on high profile cases. 
• Focus on indicting felony jail cases. Reassigning prosecutors from the trial division to review files for indictment will prevent the release of potentially dangerous arrestees. 
• Enhance arresting officers’ information sharing with District Attorney and magistrate. This will be done through improved police reports, better communication on high-profile arrests and SAPD being present at magistration in exceptional circumstances as determined by SAPD and the DA. 
• Improve case management and evidence intake systems. 

“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,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “We must remain focused and continue our collaborative efforts.”

“I applaud the work of the city and county public safety experts who worked together over several months to craft this plan and come up with a strategy on addressing violent crime by repeat offenders,” said Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai. “This is just the start of a joint effort by stakeholders to continue to make our community safer.”  

The Public Safety Action Plan is available at bexar.org/1127/Bexar-County-Judge-Peter-Sakai 

City and County collaborative actions at SA.gov/SAPD. 

Original source can be found here.