City Council Postpones Consideration Of Resolution On SMPD Policies

Staff Reports

Tuesday night, the San Marcos City Council postponed consideration of a resolution opposing the “senseless death of Mr. George Floyd and supporting the San Marcos Police Department’s current policies regarding the use of force.”

Mayor Jane Hughson said the resolution in the agenda packet was never met to be the city’s full statement on the killing of George Floyd and their reaction.

According to Hughson, the letter to the editor which published in the Daily Record and on her Facebook page did not make it onto the agenda as she had intended.

“Since it originated from a personal message from me, I did not want to presume that you all agreed with everything I had to say because that was my personal message about how I felt about it,” Hughson told the council. “There was some confusion and my message did not get into the packet, and this got in as just the resolution. And that’s why this only addressed our policies.”

Hughson said she had received numerous inquiries about SMPD policies since Floyd’s death and had proposed a resolution to record the responses on the policies from staff for people to review into the future.

The council voted unanimously for a postponement until it could be brought back to the council after they are able to discuss the topic in a work session.

The council is expected to consider an item on the next agenda regarding a statement on Floyd’s death.

Hughson apologized for the confusion.

Director of Public Safety, Chase Stapp suggested staff craft the work session around the topics officials keep seeing and have a panel evaluate SMPD’s current policies; they would then leave it to the council for guidance after that.

The letter is expected to come before the council at the regular meeting on the same day of the work session.