SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Park Police Officers Association (SAPPOA) is calling for increased patrol presence and a long-term safety investment in the city’s trail systems after a woman was allegedly assaulted near the Tobin Park Trailhead.
The woman was found without clothes and multiple facial injuries Tuesday morning at the Tobin Park Trailhead after a trip to a nearby gas station, according to San Antonio police.
Officers said the woman used the trail as a shortcut home on Monday night and later woke up with no recollection of what had happened.
Although the woman reported that no sexual assault had occurred, SAPD said its investigating the incident as a sexual assault until evidence proves otherwise.
SAPPOA President Henry Bassuk said the incident highlights the reason why Park Police officers are crucial to keeping people safe on trails.
“This is exactly why dedicated Park Police matter,” Bassuk said in a statement. “Our trails, greenways, and park systems are not immune from violent crime, and pretending otherwise puts people and families at risk.”
Bassuk also pointed to what he sees as a flawed assumption at City Hall — that SAPD can absorb the growing demands of park and trailhead patrol.
Last year, the City of San Antonio announced plans to merge the park and airport police under the police department, a move the union believes was in the works at City Hall for nearly two decades.
“This should be a wake-up call for City Hall,” Bassuk said. “Shifting more park and trailhead duties onto SAPD ignores the reality that SAPD is already stretched thin citywide. The belief that a reactive patrol model can replace the proactive Park Police presence is a dangerous gamble with Public Safety.”
Bassuk is also calling on city leaders to expand ATV and bike patrols, improve lighting and increase public safety visibility throughout San Antonio’s parks.
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