San Antonio officials are considering new ways to address crime at motels across the city.
The changes range from voluntary partnerships with motel operators to regulations that could impose new safety standards, originating with a council consideration request by District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez to work toward reducing repeat police calls and nuisance activity at properties with persistent problems.
On Wednesday, the Public Safety Committee got its first detailed look at the issue.
An analysis of 150 motels presented found some crimes occurred at disproportionately high rates compared with the rest of San Antonio, with lower-priced and aging properties experiencing more calls for service and offenses than others.
The analysis examined police calls, offenses, arrests, 311 complaints and inspections from October 2023 through June 2026. It excluded proactive police activity, such as patrols and activity from the city’s violent crime hotspot initiative.
Of the 20 most common offenses at motels, 15 occurred at higher rates than they did citywide, though Maria Vargas-Yates, director of the Integrated Community Safety Office, said only three of those differences were statistically significant.
Prostitution stood out most sharply, occurring at the analyzed properties at 19 times the citywide rate. Sexual assault occurred at 4.3 times the rate, while unauthorized use of a vehicle — taking or operating someone else’s vehicle without their consent — occurred at 3.5 times the citywide rate.
The differences also appeared in the types of calls police received. Disturbance calls occurred at 3.46 times the citywide rate at motels, while calls for assaults in progress occurred at 3.12 times the rate.
But Vargas-Yates cautioned that the higher crime numbers aren’t necessarily a result of the properties being motels. When compared with similar apartment complexes, the city found no meaningful difference in the frequency of police calls or offenses.
Arrests were the exception, occurring at twice the rate at motels.
Vargas-Yates said that difference may be partly explained by arrests for outstanding warrants, which was the most common offense recorded at motels. Motels typically don’t require background checks, making them an option both for people avoiding law enforcement and more vulnerable populations who are unable to secure traditional housing.
“It could be exploited for nefarious reasons,” Vargas-Yates said. “But as well, people who are justice involved and they can’t pass a background check just to live in an apartment or live in a home, they can get a room at a motel.”
That dual role is one of the issues the city will have to consider as it decides possible avenues to address problem properties without cutting off a source of low-barrier housing.
What could come next
City staff pointed to programs in other cities like Chula Vista in California — one of the first to adopt such a program — as potential models for San Antonio.
Those included voluntary programs that asked motel operators to meet health and code requirements while keeping police calls below a certain rate per room, as well as ordinance-based models that made meeting those standards a condition for obtaining the occupancy certificate needed to operate.
Vargas-Yates said voluntary models have generally proven less effective because operators aren’t required to participate, but mandatory requirements created their own concerns. In some cities that moved to an ordinance-based model, motels that could not meet the standards ultimately closed.
Researchers also found that using police calls as a measure of compliance could give motel operators an incentive to discourage guests from calling 911 — a particular concern for victims of domestic violence or residents who fear losing one of their few housing options.
Council members floated several ways San Antonio could take a different approach, including pairing voluntary safety improvements with incentives such as facade grants, additional street lighting and other investments aimed at improving conditions around motel properties.
Public Safety Committee Chair Sukh Kaur (D1) suggested a “carrot and stick” approach that could offer motel operators resources to make improvements while still setting standards for problem properties.
San Antonio isn’t choosing an approach yet.
For now, the Integrated Community Safety Office plans to form a team with police, code enforcement, human services, housing and homelessness staff and spend the fall and winter meeting with motel owners, operators and surrounding communities.
Staff expects to return to the Public Safety Committee in January or February with feedback and preliminary recommendations, including the possibility of a city pilot program.
Vargas-Yates said such a pilot would likely need to run for at least six months to determine whether it meaningfully reduces calls for service or improves residents’ experiences.
