SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio officials are considering new approaches to address crime and nuisance activity at motels with persistent police calls, ranging from voluntary partnerships with operators to regulations that could impose new safety standards.
District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez requested the review as the city looks for ways to reduce repeat police calls at properties with ongoing problems.
The Public Safety Committee received its first detailed briefing on the issue Wednesday.
The analysis examined 150 motels and reviewed police calls, offenses, arrests, 311 complaints and inspections from October 2023 through June 2026. The review excluded proactive police activity, including patrols and operations under the city’s violent crime hotspot initiative.
Of the 20 most common offenses recorded at motels, 15 occurred at higher rates than across San Antonio. Maria Vargas-Yates, director of the Integrated Community Safety Office, said only three differences reached statistical significance.
Prostitution occurred at 19 times the citywide rate at the analyzed motels. Sexual assault occurred at 4.3 times the citywide rate, while unauthorized use of a vehicle occurred at 3.5 times the citywide rate.
Disturbance calls occurred at 3.46 times the citywide rate, while calls for assaults in progress occurred at 3.12 times the rate.
Vargas-Yates cautioned that the higher crime rates do not necessarily mean motels cause more crime. When city officials compared motels with similar apartment complexes, they found no meaningful difference in the frequency of police calls or offenses.
Arrests were an exception, occurring at twice the rate at motels.
Vargas-Yates said outstanding warrants accounted for much of that difference. Arrests related to outstanding warrants represented the most common offense recorded at the motels.
Motels can also provide housing for people who cannot qualify for traditional apartments or homes because of background-check requirements.
“It could be exploited for nefarious reasons,” Vargas-Yates said. “But as well, people who are justice involved and they can’t pass a background check just to live in an apartment or live in a home, they can get a room at a motel.”
City weighs voluntary and mandatory approaches
City staff reviewed programs from other cities, including Chula Vista, California, as possible models for San Antonio.
Some programs rely on voluntary agreements that ask motel operators to meet health and code requirements while keeping police calls below a set rate per room. Other cities have adopted ordinances that make those standards a condition for obtaining an occupancy certificate.
Vargas-Yates said voluntary programs generally produce weaker results because operators can choose not to participate. Mandatory programs, however, have raised concerns because some motels that could not meet the requirements eventually closed.
City researchers also warned that tying compliance to police calls could discourage motel operators from allowing or encouraging guests to call 911. Officials said that could create particular risks for domestic violence victims and other residents who depend on motels for housing.
Council members discussed alternatives that could combine voluntary safety improvements with incentives, including facade grants, additional street lighting and other investments around motel properties.
Public Safety Committee Chair Sukh Kaur suggested a “carrot and stick” approach that could provide motel operators with resources to improve their properties while establishing standards for properties with persistent problems.
The city has not selected an approach.
The Integrated Community Safety Office plans to form a team with police, code enforcement, human services, housing and homelessness staff. The team will meet with motel owners, operators and nearby communities during the fall and winter.
City staff expects to return to the Public Safety Committee in January or February with community feedback and preliminary recommendations, including a possible pilot program.
Vargas-Yates said a pilot would likely need to operate for at least six months to determine whether it reduces calls for service or improves residents’ experiences.