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SAPD's 'culture of misogyny' subject of lengthy Buzzfeed report

The San Antonio Police Department was the focus of a searing Buzzfeed report published early Tuesday morning.

The San Antonio Police Department was the focus of a searing Buzzfeed report published early Tuesday morning.

The report, written by Buzzfeed's Criminal Justice reporter Albert Samaha, details numerous alleged incidents of discrimination against women, ranging from defacing their bathroom at the station to gender pay gap concerns.

Samaha opened the piece with an anecdote about a woman named 'Stephanie' who was deceived by a San Antonio officer into believing 'the unit needed a woman to act as his girlfriend.'

Samaha goes onto explain that the woman eventually found out she was being duped and explained that the incident was a huge embarrassment to the force, especially since 'five years earlier, Police Chief William McManus had vowed to overhaul a force tainted by sexual misconduct.'

Credit: Porter, Emily
The cover photo for the Buzzfeed piece that reads like an investigative piece and an exposé

KENS 5 covered the same story in 2017. He is actually talking about two San Antonio police officers, Alejandro Chapa, 31, and Emmanuel Galindo, 32, who were found guilty of inventing a sting operation in which they hired women for a lucrative and false covert job involving sex acts.

In March 2017, KENS 5 reported that Emmanuel Galindo was sentenced to 10 years in prison back, and Alejandro Chapa was sentenced to six years after being found guilty of conning women into sex.

The lengthy article goes on to detail other alleged incidents of misconduct, including the high-profile case of Jackie Neal, who was convicted of raping a woman he pulled over in 2013, and a 2016 suspension for officer Matthew Luckhurst, who, along with another officer, was accused of defecating in the women's toilets without flushing and smearing a substance on the seats.

KENS 5 actually reported on another incident where Luckhurst was suspended months before the bathroom incident after feeding a 'feces sandwich' to a homeless man in downtown San Antonio.

The article also states that McManus declined an interview request for the story, and instead includes interviews with female SAPD employees and police chiefs from numerous locations around the country, and seeks to illustrate that Chief McManus 'has a problem with women.'

However, the article states that Public Information Officer Sgt. Michelle Ramos denied that the department has had a problem with sexual misconduct and rejected accusations about the culture of misogyny. “I speak with many women in the department and I’ve never heard of that,” she said. “We’ve made great strides.”

Chief McManus did issue a statement to KENS 5 Tuesday, in which he writes: “Sexual misconduct and harassment of any kind is not tolerated in the San Antonio Police Department. The article is focused on the conduct of a few officers whom I fired for criminal and/or administrative violations. Many of the negative comments in the article were made by unnamed sources and an attorney who exclusively represents officers who have been fired for the most egregious offenses, including sexual misconduct. He should not be considered a credible source.

The fact is we are focused on recruiting more women into the training academy, and we continue to see higher and higher percentages of female cadets in each class. Unfortunately, the promotional process below the rank of deputy chief is controlled by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, not the chief of police.”

City Manager Sheryl Scully also issued a statement following the report. "As City Manager and as a woman, I take great pride in the efforts SAPD has made to increase opportunities for women in policing. Since 2006, the percentage of women on the force has more than tripled – from 3 percent to 10 percent. During that time, nearly 250 women have been accepted to the training academy, and 62% of the women on the force today began their careers during my and Chief McManus’ tenure. The fact of the matter is the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the police union is a significant obstacle to improving the promotional process within SAPD because it limits the chief’s authority. Nonetheless, I created a Women in Policing task force focused on eliminating other barriers to employment and promotion that exist in SAPD.”

Albert Samaha is the criminal justice reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York. He has reportedly been with the company since November 2014.

CLICK HERE to read his full article.

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