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San Antonio Police Chief William McManus plans to retire by September of this year.
“Serving the City of San Antonio has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” said McManus in a statement. “I am proud of the men and women protecting our community. Together, we have strengthened trust and advanced public safety. I remain fully committed to this work through my final year and to supporting a smooth and thoughtful transition.”
McManus became chief of the Alamo City on April 17, 2006. Prior to joining SAPD, he served as the police chief of Minneapolis and Dayton, Ohio.
He started his career with the Washington, D.C. Police Department in 1975 and worked his way up the ranks to become Commander of the First District, which includes Capitol Hill and areas of the White House in 1998. Later that same year, he was named assistant chief.
He also retired from the department to be head security for CPS Energy in 2014 but eventually returned as chief.
McManus said his tenure in San Antonio has been the "best by far" and he called his officers "fantastic." He also thanked City Manager Erik Walsh and other city managers for their support over the years.
Walsh praised Chief McManus’ leadership and impact.
“Chief McManus is an exceptional leader whose incredible experience and steady leadership have strengthened public safety across San Antonio and set an example for other cities nationwide,” said Walsh. “He has built strong relationships with our community and with police officers. His dedication to service and collaboration has positioned the Department well for the future, and we are grateful for his continued leadership through September 2026.”
McManus' retirement announcement with this advance notice will give the city time to search for a replacement. City officials said they would share information on the transition process in the near future. Additional information regarding future transition planning will be shared at a designated time.
During a recent City Hall briefing, McManus said overall crime across the city was trending down by more than 13% towards the end of 2025.
"Crimes against persons declined by 9%. Property crimes saw the largest drop, down by 18.1%. Crimes against society increased by 15%, driven by proactive enforcement. These figures reflect reported incidents, not final totals, and may adjust as cases are reviewed," he said.
McManus also told city council members that emergency response times from SAPD had improved by nearly a minute to around 5 minutes and 29 seconds.
McManus was threatened at times by no confidence votes by the police union, but none came to fruition. McManus and Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales also exchanged public criticisms of each other's crime-fighting approaches after a spate of officer-involved shootings in 2023 but appeared to mend fences after a public handshake the same year.
He also became the face of the department by appearing at crime scenes in-person to speak to members of the San Antonio media.
McManus graduated from the FBI National Executive Institute and National Academy, and the Senior Management Institute for Police at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. He holds a bachelor's degree from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and a master's degree in management from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD., according to a city news release.
