TAMPERING WITH AN ACTIVE SCENE. A SECOND CHOICE IS WORTH LIVING AND BREATHING THIS JOB FOR US.
KSAT, 12 NEWS.
>> WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE VIOLENT
CRIME HAS BEEN ON THE RISE HERE
IN THE ALAMO CITY AND SEEMINGLY
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW,
THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKENDS,
WE’VE HAD MULTIPLE SHOOTINGS,
TERRIBLE SHOOTINGS SEEMINGLY
DAY AFTER DAY, WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT WORSE AND WORSE. A
VIOLENT CRIME HAPPENING HERE IN
SAN ANTONIO AND PEOPLE ARE
CONCERNED. SO JOINING US TODAY
IN TODAY’S LEADING SA SEGMENT
IS CHIEF WILLIAM MCMANUS.
GOOD MORNING. CHIEF.
ALL RIGHT TO CHIEF IN THE LAST
FEW WEEKENDS ALONE, WE REPORTED
ON A FATHER AND 4 YEAR-OLD SON
SHOT IN THEIR LIVING ROOM.
THAT WAS THIS WEEKEND. I MEAN,
AT LEAST YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT
STORY. 4 PEOPLE SHOT OVERNIGHT.
WE HAD THE 3 WOMEN SHOT WITH AN
AK. 47 JUST SITTING IN THEIR
CAR IN CASTLE HILLS. AND THEN
LAST WEEKEND WE HEARD FROM YOU
OUTSIDE OF THE WHAT STARTED A
FAMILY BARBECUE ANY WITH 7
PEOPLE SHOT. SO NUMBERS WISE,
ARE WE SEEING AN INCREASE IN
VIOLENT CRIMES?
>> WE WE’RE SEEING AN INCREASE
IN IN VIOLENT GUN CRIME FOR
SURE. AND THE LIKE IN SO MANY
CASES.
A LOT OF THE THE
GUN VIOLENCE IS DUE TO. RISKY
BEHAVIOR OF COAL. BUT THE
ALTERCATIONS LAST NIGHT THERE
WAS AN ALTERCATION OUTSIDE
A BAR. BLANCO ON BLANCO.
AND SO MANY WE SEE LIKE THAT.
AND IT’S IT’S FRUSTRATING
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE. REAL QUICK
TO PULL A GUN AND TO TRY TO
SETTLE AN ARGUMENT. AND AGAIN,
THAT’S WHAT WE SEE. TIME AFTER
TIME.
IN THE PAST, YOU HAVE TOLD US
ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP WITH
COME, CRIMINOLOGIST.
>> HOW HAS BACK ON IN? WHAT
DOES IT ENTAIL AND WHAT ARE
THE GOALS?
>> WORKING WITH CRIMINOLOGIST
FROM UTSA ON A ON A VIOLENCE
PREVENTION PLAN, WHICH WE
STARTED THAT.
SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WHERE WE’VE
BEEN MEETING WITH THEM ON A
REGULAR BASIS OR THEY’RE
SCOURING THE DATA CRIME DATA.
WERE ACTUALLY SCHEDULED TO MEET
WITH THEM AGAIN, BELIEVE IT’S
RIGHT AFTER THE FORCE. THEY’LL
HAVE A AT LEAST A BLUEPRINT
OF THAT PLAN MOVING FORWARD.
WE EXPECT TO HAVE THAT IN
PLACE.
PROBABLY SOMETIME TOWARD THE
END OF THE SUMMER AND INTO THE
FALL.
>> IN IN TERMS OF THIS VIOLENT
CRIME WE’RE SEEING FROM YOUR
PERSPECTIVE, WHY IS THIS
HAPPENING? AND YOU’VE BEEN HERE
A WHILE AND SAN ANTONIO.
WE’VE BEEN HERE A WHILE AND SAN
ANTONIO. IT SEEMS LIKE JUST
RECENTLY WE’VE SEEN THIS
UPTICK.
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE’S A
COUPLE DIFFERENT REASONS FOR
THAT. THERE’S A LOT OF OPINIONS
OUT THERE ABOUT IT. ONE OF THEM
IS THE PANDEMIC. I DON’T I’M
NOT BUYING INTO THAT OPINION.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT,
YOU KNOW, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
IS JUST A LAW ENFORCEMENT IS
JUST ONE ASPECT OF THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM. THERE ARE OTHER
FACETS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM UNLESS WE’RE OPERATING
AND SAKE I THINK THIS IS WHAT
YOU GET THAT RIGHT NOW. I’M
CONCERNED THE RICH AND ABOUT
IT. I’M CONCERNED THAT THERE
ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT THAT
>> LEAD TO
>> LEAD TO THE VIOLENCE LEAD
TO THE REPEAT OFFENDERS BEING
STILL BEING OUT ON THE STREET.
AND I THINK THAT
>> LOW BAIL NOBEL. IT’S A
PROBLEM. YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO
ARE BEING ARRESTED.
FOR A VARIETY OF CRIMES.
VIOLENT CRIMES INCLUDED, WHO
ARE WHO ARE BEING PUT BACK ON
THE STREET. NO PRE TRIAL
DETENTION. WITNESSES WON’T TALK
BECAUSE THEY’RE OUT THERE AND
THEY’RE AFRAID OF RETALIATION.
YOU KNOW GET A NUMBER OF OTHER
I THINK CONTRIBUTE TO THIS TO
THIS ONGOING VIOLENT CRIME
ISSUE WE’RE HAVING RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THERE’S A A A
LACK OF FEAR OF CONSEQUENCE.
AND I’M CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND I THINK THAT. I THINK THAT.
THIS THIS.
MOVEMENT TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT
OF JAIL IS A PROBLEM. IT I
THINK THAT I BELIEVE THAT
PEOPLE WHO COMMIT VIOLENT
CRIMES SHOULD BE IN JAIL
PERIOD.
AND IF IF THEY’RE USING A GUN
TO COMMIT THOSE VIOLENT CRIMES.
ABSOLUTELY, THEY NEED TO BE
IN JAIL BECAUSE WHAT WE’RE
SEEING ARE OR REPEAT OFFENDERS.
WE HAVE 60% OF THE PEOPLE THAT
WE’VE ARRESTED OVER THE PAST
FEW YEARS. WE’VE ARRESTED
BEFORE.
AND MANY OF THEM AGAIN FOR THE
SAME CRIME. AND SO THIS IS AN
ISSUE FOR IT’S AN ISSUE FOR THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT AND, YOU I’M
NOT QUITE SURE HOW WE GET A
HANDLE ON IT WITHOUT ALL THE
FACETS OF THE OTHER PART OF THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WORKING
IN SYNC.
>> BEFORE YOU GO BECAUSE YOU’RE
RUNNING OUT OF TIME FOR
PARENTS, FAMILIES WATCHING IT
IS A SUNDAY MORNING. YOU KNOW,
THESE FAMILIES WANT TO HEAR
FROM YOU. THAT MIGHT BE SCARED.
THEY HEAR US TALKING ABOUT THE
SHOOTINGS, VIOLENT CRIMES.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THEM?
>> AS I MENTIONED, THERE ARE
EXCEPTIONS TO THIS.
>> BUT A LOT.
TO THE MAJORITY OF THE VIOLENT
CRIMES, BUT THEY’RE NOT RANDOM.
THEY ARE. THEY ARE HAPPENING
BECAUSE OF PEOPLE WHO ENGAGE IN
RISKY BEHAVIOR. AGAIN, THERE’S
EXCEPTIONS TO THIS.
THIS IS WHAT WE’RE SEEING.
A GREAT DEAL OF AND MINUS THE
RISKY BEHAVIOR, YOUR CHANCE OF
BECOMING THE VICTIM OF A
VIOLENT CRIME. ARE SLIM.
AND AGAIN, THERE’S EXCEPTIONS
TO THIS. BUT THAT’S THE RULE.
CHIEF. WELL, IF YOU’RE
CONCERNED, I’M SURE PARENTS OUT
THERE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY
IS AS WELL. BUT
>> IT’S THEY APPRECIATE YOU
COMING ON HERE IN SPEAKING US
AND TAKING THE TIME TO DO SO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME