Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident questions police spending, CAD upgrade and missing equipment in Balcones Heights
Summary
A resident and candidate urged Balcones Heights city leaders to explain increased police spending, a proposed CAD/dispatch upgrade and reports of missing equipment; law enforcement officials defended officers’ response to recent calls and said dispatch and RMS issues are constrained by county arrangements.
Vanessa Martin, a Balcones Heights resident who said she is running for city council, told the council March 9 she supports local officers but wants clearer public accounting for increased police spending and for officials to justify a proposed computer-aided dispatch upgrade.
"Why exactly the new CAD upgrade when our current system is actually set up to hold a lot more than it does?" Martin asked, saying residents want to know whether the upgrade is necessary or simply an expensive preference. She also said rumors have circulated about missing police supplies, including ticket writers, and asked the city to explain how equipment is tracked and why auctions and disposals are not posted publicly.
Officer Antonio Maldonado described a recent writ-of-possession in which deputies faced multiple occupants and requested backup over the radio; he said neighboring officers and command staff arrived quickly. "To my relief, precinct 2 arrived, but he sits and upper command showed up," Maldonado said, adding that the response gave him confidence to complete the eviction.
Sergeant Hector Avula of Precinct 2, speaking as a resident, praised the Balcones Heights officers who responded to the same incident and said the quick, visible response "makes you feel good." Constable Vasquez thanked the city officers as well but highlighted operational constraints when multiple jurisdictions coordinate: animal-control handoffs and county 911 dispatcher staffing can complicate responses.
Several law-enforcement speakers said a local RMS or improved dispatching could help operations but noted funding and interagency arrangements — including reliance on Bexar County dispatch — limit immediate changes. The constable said, "If Bexar County dispatchers are short, we have to wait," and that addressing shortfalls would require budget or intergovernmental action.
Martin urged the council to increase transparency around equipment inventories and public notice of police auctions to improve community trust and revenue. The council did not take action on equipment tracking during the meeting; it moved on to a separate grant item.
