San Antonio officers are contemplating a six-month pilot program that will enable police to divert some individuals accused of low-level offenses away from the Bexar County Jail and into psychological well being or substance use therapy as early as January.
The proposed 15-bed program would initially serve individuals accused of nonresidential prison trespassing or theft beneath $100. As an alternative of being arrested and booked into jail, eligible members may voluntarily enter therapy at an current Middle for Well being Care Companies facility at 711 E. Josephine St.
Metropolis Council’s Public Security Committee unanimously agreed Monday to ship the proposal and town’s share of its funding to the total council for consideration, the most recent step in a months-long city-county effort to develop a centralized diversion and restoration system.
The pilot would price about $1.9 million to function for six months, in line with CHCS officers, who would function the pilot. Officers have proposed splitting that price evenly amongst San Antonio, Bexar County and College Well being, with every contributing $638,370.
Underneath the proposal superior Monday, San Antonio would use cash from the Westside Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone to cowl its share. Tax increment reinvestment zones, often called TIRZs, put aside property tax income generated by development in property values inside a chosen space to fund tasks supposed to learn that space.
The total Metropolis Council is predicted to contemplate town’s funding on Sept. 10.
How would the diversion pilot work?
The proposal would create a pre-arrest diversion possibility for police responding to sure low-level offenses involving individuals with psychological well being or substance abuse wants.
Researchers examined greater than 31,000 misdemeanor arrests made by SAPD in 2025 that didn’t embody an accompanying felony cost, together with arrests for prison trespassing, drug paraphernalia, low-level marijuana possession, theft and tenting.
After discussions with stakeholders, together with SAPD, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Workplace and the Bexar County District Lawyer’s Workplace, officers settled on nonresidential prison trespassing and nonresidential theft beneath $100 because the take a look at instances for the pilot.
From January by means of Could, a mean of about 140 individuals per 30 days have been arrested on prison trespassing fees, in line with BCSO knowledge introduced by CHCS. About 56% of these arrests — a mean of 78 individuals per 30 days — concerned somebody with an recognized psychological well being or substance abuse want. The figures are broader than the proposed pilot’s eligibility necessities however have been utilized by officers as an example the variety of individuals probably affected by diversion.
The pilot would initially function inside SAPD’s Central and Downtown substation response areas, the place the 2 focused offenses are most prevalent, mentioned Interim Police Chief Jesse Salame.
When an officer encounters somebody accused of nonresidential prison trespassing or theft beneath $100, the officer would decide whether or not the individual dedicated an eligible offense and provide diversion as an alternative choice to arrest. Participation could be voluntary.
If the individual agrees, the officer would contact clinicians by means of the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council’s MedCom system. Clinicians would display the individual for psychological well being or substance use and decide whether or not they meet the therapy heart’s necessities. If accepted, the individual could be taken to the Josephine Avenue facility fairly than the jail.
That distinction is central to the pilot. In contrast to diversion applications that intervene after somebody has already been arrested or entered the courtroom system, the proposed program would try to attach members with therapy earlier than they’re even booked into jail.
Officers say that would keep away from hours spent taking somebody by means of the jail consumption course of whereas getting individuals experiencing behavioral well being or substance use issues into therapy sooner. Information analyzed by UTHealth Houston discovered that folks arrested for prison trespassing spent a median of about eight hours between arrest and reserving in BCSO instances and about 12 hours in SAPD instances.
As soon as on the diversion heart, members would obtain behavioral well being therapy and different social providers for a mean of about 14 days, adopted by as much as 90 days of aftercare supposed to attach them with longer-term providers.
If somebody declines therapy or doesn’t meet the scientific necessities, they may as a substitute proceed by means of the conventional prison justice course of.
Officers are nonetheless working by means of how the pilot would deal with individuals who repeatedly commit eligible offenses. This system would observe repeat encounters to assist decide whether or not limits or different modifications are wanted if the mannequin continues.
“It doesn’t imply that it’s a get-out-of-jail-free card,” Salame mentioned.
If accredited and totally funded, officers mentioned the 15 pilot beds may start accepting members round January.
A take a look at for a everlasting diversion heart
The pilot’s preliminary boundaries may change as officers study extra about who may benefit from this system.
District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez questioned why the pilot would initially be restricted to the Central and Downtown police substation areas when the proposed therapy facility is in his district. He requested officers to look at whether or not close by neighborhoods, together with Authorities Hill, might be included.
Officers agreed to overview arrest knowledge from these areas however cautioned that increasing the pilot must account for the restricted variety of beds obtainable.
Council members additionally raised questions on how success could be measured and the way repeat members could be dealt with, particulars officers mentioned could be labored out because the pilot is developed.
These questions are a part of what officers hope to reply earlier than figuring out what a everlasting diversion system ought to appear to be.
The pilot would run alongside a broader feasibility examine being performed by CHCS and the UTHealth Houston Faculty of Public Well being. The examine is inspecting what providers a everlasting diversion heart ought to present, what number of beds and employees it might want and the way it might be sustainably funded. Suggestions are anticipated in early 2027.
Alexander Testa, the UTHealth Houston researcher main the examine, mentioned he has interviewed 35 native stakeholders and spoken with operators of diversion facilities in Harris, Tarrant, Dallas and Travis counties. He mentioned these conversations have bolstered the worth of testing the idea whereas the longer-term planning continues.
“You’ll by no means actually perceive how your diversion heart works and the very best practices till you begin piloting it,” Testa mentioned.
Metropolis Council is predicted to obtain a briefing on the proposal throughout SAPD’s finances dialogue on Sept. 8 earlier than contemplating town’s proposed $638,370 contribution on Sept. 10.
