The San Antonio Police Department reported April 15 that first‑quarter crime in 2025 fell compared with the same period in 2024, though councilmembers said many residents still perceive public‑safety problems and urged a mix of staffing and targeted strategies.

The police chief told the committee the city's NIBRS‑compliant figures show an overall drop of 19.3% in the quarter across violent crime, property crime and crimes against society. Property crimes fell 24.5%; motor vehicle theft declined about 43.2% in the comparison cited. The chief said arrests increased by 3.4% for the quarter, and comparing Oct.–Dec. 2024 to Jan.–Mar. 2025 arrests rose about 10.6%, which the department said may account for some increases in narcotics reporting because Group B/NIBRS counts offenses when arrests are made.

Councilmembers pressed for detail and possible budget responses. Councilman White and others argued for accelerating planned hires, saying visible officers on patrol deter both violent and property crime; White proposed funding an additional 100 officers in this budget cycle and another 100 next year to hasten patrol increases. Other members urged targeted, data‑driven deployment: several councilmembers cited the UTSA hot‑spot policing work and asked for evidence linking patrol increases to outcomes for property crime as well as violent crime.

Councilmembers also asked for further data breakdowns, such as calls for service by category and multi‑year trend lines; the chief said staff could provide those reports. The department confirmed it maintains specialized units — an auto‑theft unit and a property crimes task force — and said directed patrols and investigative work are part of the response when patrol capacity allows.

No committee action was taken; the presentation prompted a policy discussion that members said would factor into budget deliberations and the city's longer term violent‑crime prevention plan.