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Police Chief William McManus speeds up retirement, heads to the private sector

SAPD Chief William P. McManus at the 2024 event City of San Antonio Community Coming Together: Working Beyond the March, at Pittman Sullivan Park.
Brenda Bazán
/
San Antonio Report
SAPD Chief William P. McManus at the 2024 event City of San Antonio Community Coming Together: Working Beyond the March, at Pittman Sullivan Park.

This story was updated at 6:40 p.m.

Police Chief William McManus is speeding up his retirement to accept a new job — leaving San Antonio city leaders to appoint a temporary replacement.

McManus was expected to retire Sept. 30, but will now exit the role July 10, according to the city.

The search for his successor is ongoing, but the city plans to choose an acting chief from within the San Antonio Police Department command before McManus’ last day.

Interviews for San Antonio’s next police chief will take place in August, with a final selection expected in September.

McManus will oversee safety and security across Silver Venture’s developments, hotels, restaurants, retail properties and entertainment venues. In announcing the hire Wednesday, CEO Bryant Ambelang said McManus would help manage security as the company’s developments continue to expand.

McManus has served as San Antonio’s chief since April 17, 2006, overseeing major shifts in public safety and policing in the city — including changes in leadership, department growth, and evolving community expectations around accountability and transparency.

“Serving the San Antonio community alongside the men and women of SAPD has been the greatest privilege of my law enforcement career,” McManus said. “Thank you, San Antonio.”

His departure also means he will not be leading the department through this year’s city budget process. San Antonio is facing a major budget deficit and the trial budget presented in June proposed tax increases and spending cuts while funding no additional police officers.

In recent months, he’s clashed with Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones after details about the mayor’s police security were leaked to the press amid a fight about funding for new officers.

This story originally appeared in the San Antonio Report.

Andrea Drusch writes about local government for the San Antonio Report. She's covered politics in Washington, D.C., and Texas for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, National Journal and Politico.