DEPARTMENT: Police Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: William P. McManus, Chief of Police
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT: Proposed Cite and Release Policy
SUMMARY:
Since September 2017, the San Antonio Police Department has been in discussions with members of City Council and city staff regarding the potential implementation of a cite and release policy for certain minor offenses. A cite and release policy will result in significant savings in officer time by providing officers with the discretion to issue a citation in lieu of custodial arrest and transport to jail while also providing offenders the opportunity to avoid custodial arrest and the stigma associated with the arrest and booking process. Ultimately, the Bexar County District Attorney must agree to participate in a cite and release program in order for the policy to be viable and achieve the desired outcome.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
SAPD Enforcement
It is important to note that while SAPD General Manual Procedure 505.01B and Article 14.06 (c) of the Texas Criminal Code of Procedure provide police officers with the discretion to cite offenders of certain minor offenses, it is ultimately the officer's decision whether to make a custodial arrest of the offender. Since 2014, the SAPD has made a total of 29,654 arrests for offenses eligible for inclusion as part of the proposed cite and release policy outlined in the table below:
Offense 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 YTD
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Class A Poss Marij 267 247 205 279 327
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