San Antonio Police Chief William McManus announced Friday that he plans to retire, ending two decades as head of the San Antonio Police Department and closing out what officials say is the longest tenure for a police chief in modern San Antonio history.
The city said McManus will remain in the role through September 2026 to ensure “stability and continuity” as leaders begin planning for a transition. No details about a successor or search process were announced Friday.
McManus has served as San Antonio’s chief since April 17, 2006, overseeing major shifts in public safety and policing in the city — including changes in leadership, department growth, and evolving community expectations around accountability and transparency.
In a written statement included with the city’s announcement, McManus said the job has been a defining part of his career.
“Serving the City of San Antonio has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” McManus said. “I am proud of the men and women protecting our community. Together, we have strengthened trust and advanced public safety. I remain fully committed to this work through my final year and to supporting a smooth and thoughtful transition.”
City Manager Erik Walsh praised McManus’ leadership in the press release, calling him “an exceptional leader” whose experience and steady approach strengthened their public safety efforts.
“He has built strong relationships with our community and with police officers. His dedication to service and collaboration has positioned the department well for the future, and we are grateful for his continued leadership through September 2026,” Walsh said.
McManus previously served as police chief in Minneapolis from February 2004 to April 2006, and in Dayton, Ohio, from November 2001 to February 2004.
His law enforcement career began in 1975 with the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department, where he held a range of street-level and investigative roles and rose through the ranks before becoming an assistant chief in 1998.
McManus is a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute and National Academy, and also completed the Senior Management Institute for Police at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
City officials said additional information about the transition process and future leadership planning would be shared later.
“The City of San Antonio is grateful for Chief McManus’ many years of service, and I appreciate his decades long commitment to keeping San Antonio safe,” Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones wrote in a statement following the announcement.
