'I’m not anti-law enforcement, I am common sense': San Marcos residents say tentative police contract lacks needed reforms for officer misconduct

Pamela Watts, left, and Jennifer Miller.
(Courtesy: Pamela Watts)

Spectrum News 1
BY JAMIL DONITH |AUSTIN 
PUBLISHED 5:26 AM CT APR. 29, 2023

SAN MARCOS, Texas — The City of San Marcos tentatively reached a new agreement with the police association after repealing its own police contract in a shocking and rare move in February.

The decision came after two years of advocates demanding better oversight and discipline of the San Marcos Police Department's officers.

While the San Marcos City Council’s decision to repeal its own police contract was a big win for community members, the tentative contract signed by the city and the police department does not include any of the reforms residents demanded.

Now staunch supporters of police reform such as Pamela Watts say they’re taking this issue to the polls. 

“She loved sunflowers,” Watts said.

Gardening is what Watts calls her “weed therapy.” 

“If I’m digging in the dirt, I feel Jen,” she said.

The same memorial that was at the crash site where her partner Jennifer Miller died is now a permanent piece of Watts' backyard.

“You never know how quickly someone can be erased, and they’re just not there,” she said, with tears in her eyes.

Watts was driving the two home from a date on June 10, 2020, when off-duty officer Sgt. Ryan Hartman hit her car, killing Miller instantly.

“[For a] long time I tried to convince myself she was on vacation,” Watts said. “She was gonna come back. It just didn’t feel, it didn’t feel real.” 

Body camera video from the crash scene shows an open beer container in the DWI officer’s truck. Hartman was never formally charged with any criminal offense. He got a ticket for running a stop sign.

“There’s been no, no justice in this case,” Watts said. “And now I’m trying to make sure it doesn’t happen to anybody else.”

Watts and grassroots groups created the five Hartman Reforms.

Which are:

• Ending time limits on investigating officers

• Ending 48-hour waiting period to interview officers

• Ending third-party arbitration for employment decisions

• Making documented misconduct public

• Ending forfeiture of vacation days as a substitute for suspension

“I’m not anti-law enforcement, I am common sense,” Watts said.

On Monday, the city and police agreed to include a grading system to monitor bad actors in the department. 

“We want discipline and letters of reprimand to count for something,” said San Marcos City Manager Stephanie Reyes.

Jordan Buckley calls himself a “muckraker.” As the publisher of the Caldwell/Hays Examiner, he has closely followed the contract negotiations process and investigated misconduct at SMPD.

“No one cares at all about these minor little tweaks to their process that totally sidestep actual accountability,” Buckley said.

He says the tentative agreement doesn’t include the changes to the contract community members demanded, so they plan to go after civil service protections.  

That’s chapter 143 of the local government code, which allows meet and confer negations and exempts police from taking a required “competitive examination to remain in the position.”

“It’s time to tear the whole thing down, and we’re gonna be looking at how to repeal 143 all together,” Buckley said.

Formerly with the SMPD for 32 years, Daniel Arredondo is a Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas field representative for Central Texas. He’s also represents the San Marcos Police Officer’s Association.

“We feel that it’s a good agreement,” Arredondo said.

He says the tentative contract goes beyond legal requirements, but some reforms advocates are pushing for would have violated state statutes. 

“It clearly creates accountability,” he said. “There’s always gonna be individuals and organizations that believe it doesn’t go far enough.” 

As for Watts, she’s still waiting to see justice for Jen, and until that day comes, she’s going to keep fighting to weed out the bad actors.  

Now, the San Marcos Police Officers Association has voted to ratify the contract. City Council still needs to approve it. City leaders say that the vote will take place at the council meeting on May 16.

Buckley tells Spectrum News they plan to collect signatures in October to campaign for a ballot measure to repeal Chapter 143 in the November 2024 election.