SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — As San Marcos continues to grow, city leaders want to ensure the police department keeps pace.
In May, City Council members voted to allocate $116,000 to fund a study to examine staffing levels and service needs within the San Marcos Police Department.
Matrix Consulting Group, the company that conducted the study, has already met with city officials and police employees. On Thursday and Saturday, the city hosted two public meetings to get community input.
“I think it’s very important that we have the right police on the street,” said Wayne Miller, who attended one of the meetings. “I think we don’t communicate, so we all have different ideas.”
Tim Donohoe, a consultant at Matrix Consulting Group, said his group has already collected a significant amount of data — such as calls for service and the number of cases — and is analyzing it. He said residents’ feedback is important to get a comprehensive understanding of public safety in the city.
“Just analyzing the data is one aspect of that,” Donohue said. “These community meetings are set up to understand community issues, what they want from the police department. In fact, they give voice to the data we receive from the department.”
According to the city, crime levels have remained fairly constant over the past few years. So far this year, San Marcos has recorded 131 car thefts. The typical annual range is 160 to 230.
KXAN reported in July about a fatal shooting involving teens in downtown San Marcos. According to the city, the number of aggravated assaults in the downtown area has risen slightly over the past two years — there were eight in the first half of 2023, six in the first six months of 2024, and 13 during the first six months of 2025.