SAN ANTONIO – Former San Antonio police officer Troy Smith is highly committed to helping the police and community members understand each other’s points of view. He started the “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” workshop to help build bridges.
Smith said he saw what unfolded after San Antonio police officers shot and killed Kevin Johnson, who was wanted on a felony warrant, on the West Side on Monday. He said it’s evident that there’s tension.
“The community has gotten afraid of the police, and I believe the police became afraid of the community,” Smith said.
Smith said he funded his program out of pocket because getting city funding is too difficult.
“As a minority business owner, the process to get funding is so difficult. And then once you get it, you have to go out, spend the money and then get reimbursed, and most small organizations like that can’t do that,” he said.
In the 2022 budget, the City of San Antonio allotted more than $5.4 million for things like creating a pilot program to address mental health calls, creating a team of crisis community advocates, and adding more SAFFE officers. The budget shows about $150,000 total was invested into neighborhood crime prevention programs like Big Mama’s Safe House and Rising Stars S.A.
“It’s a drop in the bucket. We always say, ‘You take what you can get.’ You can always use more,” Smith said.
In April, the city’s Public Safety Committee will discuss the allocation of some $56 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Public Safety Committee and city council will then decide how to allocate those funds.
The hope for Smith is that the ease makes it easier for grassroots organizations to apply for support to continue their mission.