SAN ANTONIO, TX, OCTOBER 19, 2020 – Anti-Police Activists with “FIX SAPD” are collecting signatures for a referendum that would strip San Antonio police officers of their rights and protections. Knowing that the people of San Antonio overwhelmingly support police, these activists have been misleading the public and even lying about Chief McManus’ support for their effort by fabricating quotes.

In their effort to repeal Chapters 143 and 174 of the Texas Government Code (Civil Service and Collective Bargaining respectively) activists are saying that repeal of these laws is necessary because “78%” of fired police officers are returned to duty because of arbitration, making San Antonio “number one in the country.”¹ This is a lie and has been proven to be false in a study by the San Antonio Express-News.² 

“FIX SAPD” is also lying about the Chief’s support for their effort, misquoting the Chief on their website and in literature distributed to voters. In a column posted on September 23, 2020 on The San Antonio Observer website, “FIX SAPD” activist and supporter Mario Salas said:

“According to Police Chief William McManus,‘There’s two laws that pertain to collective bargaining…(174 and 143) those need to go.’” Salas also quotes the Chief as saying, “Accountability is dissolved through arbitration.”

Through a spokesman, Chief McManus disputes the authenticity of these quotes. When SAPOA inquired with the Chief directly about whether he stood by these comments or whether he was being misquoted, SAPD’s Public Information Officer, Lt. Jesse Salame said:

“Negative….he’s said repeatedly that his only issue is with certain sections of Art 28, specifically the arbitrator reversing a termination on a non-fact issue. He’s said he supports the CBA as a whole and has not said anything direct about repealing 143/174 to my knowledge. I don’t know when/where they have the quote you are referencing but they say lots of stuff that’s not factually correct. I’ll look into it.”

Clearly, the Chief did not say 143 and 174 “need to go” as activists are proclaiming and his spokesperson says directly that “they say lots of stuff that’s not factually correct.” If “FIX SAPD” was confident in their message to San Antonio voters, they would not have to resort to lying about the facts.

1 Texas Public Radio “The Source,” Interview with Oji Martin, 10/6/2020.
2 “Arbitrators excuse allegations of racism in police,” San Antonio Express-News, June 19, 2020.

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