San Antonio Public Safety Committee Meeting – May 28, 2026

The Public Safety Committee (Comité de Seguridad) met on May 28, 2026, to discuss animal care services (ACS) metrics, dangerous dog enforcement, and a police staffing plan. The meeting included public testimony from a dog attack victim, a presentation from ACS Director John Gary, a presentation from SAPD Chief Raymond Platinum, and extensive council discussion. No formal votes were taken on the main agenda items; the committee agreed to postpone item five to the next meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of minutes: The committee approved the minutes of the previous Safety Committee meeting by unanimous voice vote (motion and second received, no objections).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Katy (resident, District 1): Testified about being attacked by a large Great Dane on Good Friday, resulting in severe injuries to her arm and the death of her 9-pound dog. She described the traumatic aftermath, noting that ACS responded well but that the owner never claimed the dog and it was euthanized after a 10-day quarantine. Her specific recommendations included: (1) providing victims with a written explanation of the process and available resources; (2) adding a public safety dashboard on the ACS website by district; (3) requiring city manager reports to council on district-level ACS status at least quarterly; and (4) reinstating a citizen position on the Safety Committee, for which she expressed interest.
• Kelly Waltz (former ACS volunteer/advocate): Criticized ACS for failing to hold dangerous dog owners accountable, claiming that fatalities are linked to dogs already known to ACS. He alleged that ACS manipulates response rate statistics, that many dangerous dog cases are dismissed or low-priority, and that the 93% response rate cited is misleading because calls are often closed automatically. He pointed to specific cases where owners repeatedly ignored court orders without consequence.

Discussion Items

1. Animal Care Services (ACS) – 2026 Metrics and Dangerous Dog Enforcement

• Presentation by John Gary (Director of Animal Care Services): Provided an overview of cruelty investigations, dangerous dog classifications, and citation processes. Key points:
  • The cruelty team has 5 investigators; they issue violation notices for minor infractions and seek warrants for severe cases. In 2026, 800–900 violation notices were issued.
  • The dangerous dog investigation team has 4 investigators + 2 supervisors. Currently 348 active dangerous dog cases (93 dogs in 52 homes). 82% of dangerous dog classifications meet the target (goal 80%).
  • Dangerous = attacks a person; aggressive = attacks an animal. There are 88 dangerous and 68 aggressive cases; 22 SBI (serious bite incidents) go directly to court.
  • The process: after an incident, the dog is quarantined (10 days), evidence collected, owner has 15 days to appeal a dangerous dog declaration. Non-compliance leads to potential euthanasia after an 11-day grace period.
  • Citations: In 2024, most citations were criminal rather than civil. A single incident can generate 4–5 citations. The director noted that 2024–2025 data shows some cases were dropped or administratively closed.
• City Manager David Rodriguez (Assistant City Manager): Added that ACS is working on a public dashboard (expected in 90 days) to allow tracking of calls by district, priority, and outcome. He acknowledged the need for better communication with the community and for modernizing the citation process, which remains largely manual.
• Councilmember Maki Rodríguez: Expressed concern that despite two new spay/neuter and vaccination points, ACS is not removing dangerous animals proactively. She noted that ACS’s budget dropped from $5 million to $3 million and that response rates for critical calls are still only ~92%. She called for more officers, an east-side facility, and better coordination with the municipal court and city attorney’s office. She disputed the claim that ACS does not need more money.
• Councilmember White: Noted that criminal citations doubled from 2024 to 2025 and asked why. He wanted data on average time from incident to prosecutor decision, and recommended a satellite facility on the east side. He also supported better victim resources (notaries, help with sworn affidavits).
• Councilmember Spears: Expressed frustration with lack of progress despite significant funding. She suggested a public registry of dangerous dogs (similar to sex offender registry), mandatory liability insurance for owners of dangerous dogs, and stronger enforcement. She stressed the need for collaboration with the county and suburban cities.
• Councilmember Castillo: Emphasized making the online dangerous dog map more user-friendly and adding filters for multiple attacks. She requested a clear timeline of what a victim can expect after a bite (reporting, court process, outcomes).
• Municipal Court representative: Explained that citations are hand-written, delivered to prosecutor’s office, then to court; the process takes about a week. Defendants get 30 days to appear; if they fail, an arrest warrant is issued. The court is working with ACS on electronic citation submission.

2. Police Staffing Plan – Presentation by SAPD Chief Raymond Platinum

• Background: On March 11, 2026, Councilmembers Alderete, Gabito, and Spears submitted a resolution supporting a 2023 staffing study; on March 12, another memo from Councilmembers Maki Rodríguez, Villa Gran, Munguía, Castillo, and Galván recommended prioritizing staffing within the FY2026 budget process.
• Methodology: The 2023 study used workload-based analysis (calls for service, response time, shift patterns, proactive time) and recommended adding 360 officers to achieve a 60/40 split between call response and proactive time. The department later moved to a 50/50 split and added 200 officers, resulting in a 13% reduction in homicides and 43% reduction in auto thefts from July 2023 to July 2024.
• Current request: Chief Platinum presented updated data showing that San Antonio is the fastest-growing US city (added 24,000 residents in 2023-24, 14,000 in 2024-25). To maintain current service levels and improve proactive policing, additional officers are needed. The chief noted that the department now offers 8- and 10-hour shifts for flexibility and is exploring online reporting for non-emergency calls (minor accidents, lost property, noise complaints) to free up officer time.
• Councilmember White: Strongly supported adding officers, stating that the city must follow through on the 2023 study. He noted that the 50/50 split has reduced crime and that more officers would further improve safety and officer mental health. He called for funding additional officers in the next 3–4 months.
• Councilmember Spears: Echoed White’s sentiments, emphasizing that public safety is the city’s core function. She asked for data showing how increased staffing at substations has improved response times. She also stressed the importance of officer well-being and community perception of safety.
• Councilmember Maki Rodríguez: Cautioned against assuming causation from correlation. She noted that other cities like Houston and Nashville have more officers per capita but still higher crime rates, and that social media trends (e.g., TikTok challenges) can artificially inflate certain crimes. She urged careful analysis of demographic and economic factors that affect crime.
• Councilmember Castillo: Requested that future discussions include trade-offs (tax increases vs. cuts to other programs) to justify budget increases.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes approved unanimously.
• Item 5 (unclear) postponed to the next meeting (scheduled for June at a domestic violence shelter).
• No formal votes were taken on the ACS metrics or police staffing plan; these were discussion-only items. The committee directed staff to:
  • Develop a user-friendly online dashboard for dangerous dog tracking and public education (within 90 days).
  • Explore electronic citation submission from ACS to municipal court.
  • Provide councilmembers with a clear timeline and outcome tracking for dangerous dog cases.
  • Continue analyzing police staffing needs with cross-city comparisons and budget implications for the next fiscal year.