SAN ANTONIO – A week and a half after releasing the results of its “no confidence” vote in SAPD Chief William McManus, the San Antonio Police Officers Association released a 12-page After Action Report Tuesday detailing the reasons for that vote.
“I’m hoping that this After Action Report lets them hear this is why the guys did what they did,” said Mike Helle, SAPOA president.
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In late March, 97 percent of union membership voted it had no confidence in McManus.
[VIEW: No Confidence Vote After Action Report |Release]
The report points to numerous factors, such as low morale within the department, police reforms that the union disagrees with and the lawsuit looming over the union’s contract negotiations with the city.
Helle said the report was based on emailed feedback the union sought from officers who voted.
“We’re going to scrub the names off of them, but I’m going to put their message that they have and their true feelings are. I’m going to put them out there for the public to see,” Helle said. “I have enough to run every day for about 50 days.”
The report concludes by saying, “SAPOA has to be about more than just complaints.”
So the union is creating a working group made up of officers, union leaders and community leaders to help find solutions to problems the union identified.
“And I’ll put it out there to anybody. If they want to contact us and they want to be part of this group, let us know,” said Helle.
When asked if that invitation extends to McManus, Helle responded, “Most definitely. Let me be very clear, I have nothing personal against this chief at all.”
While at a community gathering Tuesday aimed at fighting crime on the city’s west side, McManus maintained his stance on the no confidence vote, saying he “is not going anywhere.”
Reacting to the reasons listed by the union in the report, McManus called it “more of the same.”
“I don’t even know where to begin. There is so much misinformation in there,” he said.
Helle said he had not directly sent McManus a copy of the report released Tuesday.
As for whether he would participate in the working group, McManus added, “I am all for solutions. But I think the problems need to be defined accurately and truthfully before we even talk about solutions.”
The union hopes to have the working group formulated by the end of this week or next.
http://www.ksat.com/news/police-union-releases-reasons-for-no-confidence-vote-in-12-page-report