San Antonio POA Makes Big Statement
Mike Helle, president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association, and his members are using high-profile tactics—including a controversial billboard—to educate the community about the dangerous understaffing at the agency.
“We are short and we are having hard time getting people to come work on this police department,” said SAPOA President Mike Helle.
SAPOA sponsored the billboard. “Is your family’s safety at risk? What happens when you don’t have very many officers out there to handle the calls? It’s going to take longer for them to get to your house,” said Helle.
A spokesperson for City Manager Sheryl Sculley’s office told News 4 San Antonio there are actually 200 vacancies in the department; however, 26 cadets recently graduated and 17 cadets are currently in the academy.