San Antonio Police Department Policy Manual

The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) publishes its General Manual Policies & Procedures online, organized into sections 100–900 that cover philosophy, rules and regulations, administrative procedures, technical operations, arrests, operations, investigations, emergency operations, and personnel procedures. The manual is detailed, cross-referenced, and updated through the city’s transparency and open data initiative, reflecting modern expectations for accountability, community engagement, and officer safety.

For SAPD promotional prep, treat the General Manual as your core textbook. Start by printing or exporting the section index (100–900) and marking which sections are:

- **High-liability:** use of force/response to resistance, pursuits, arrests and searches, domestic violence, and critical incidents.
- **High-frequency:** differential police response, calls for service handling, report writing, and prisoner/juvenile procedures.
- **High-impact for supervisors:** discipline, evaluations, internal investigations, and personnel procedures.

Create a study plan that cycles through these three groups each week. For each procedure, answer three questions in your notes: (1) What is the purpose of this policy? (2) What does it require a supervisor to do? (3) What documentation is required when something goes wrong?

When building your SAPD policy outline, emphasize:

- **Section 200 – Rules and Regulations** – foundational expectations for conduct, obedience to orders, and professional behavior.
- **Section 300–400 – Administrative & Technical Procedures** – report writing, communications, body-worn cameras, digital evidence, and internal documentation.
- **Section 500 – Arrest Procedures** – warrantless arrests, searches and seizures, traffic enforcement, DWI, and asset seizure.
- **Section 600 – Operational Procedures** – prisoner handling, juveniles, protective orders, domestic violence, missing persons, mentally ill persons, and vehicle impound.
- **Section 700 – Investigative Procedures** – crime scene duties, sexual assault handling, officer-involved shootings, and follow-up units.
- **Section 900 – Personnel Procedures** – attendance, leave, transfers, limited duty, mandatory reassignment, awards, discipline, and drug testing.

These sections drive many of the real-world scenarios that turn into promotional test questions.

To prepare for SAPD promotional exams:

1. **Anchor on section numbers.** Because SAPD policy is structured by numbered sections, memorize key section numbers and what they cover. This helps with both open-book and closed-book testing formats.
2. **Convert procedures into checklists.** Many procedures are step-by-step. Rewrite them as brief checklists you can mentally run during a scenario question.
3. **Study supervisor-specific language.** Highlight every line that starts with “supervisors shall…” or “commanders shall…”. Those are exam gold.
4. **Practice narrative answers.** Even if the official exam is multiple-choice, practice writing out short narrative answers to “What would you do as the sergeant in this situation under SAPD policy?” That forces you to link policy text to real actions.