Reports from San Jose’s Independent Police Auditor (IPA) show an overhaul of crowd control policing is needed after a review of the 2020 George Floyd protests. Three recently released reports detail how the San Jose Police Department failed to comply with procedures due to a lack of training that resulted in poor policing. One report points out...
San Jose’s interim housing project at Evans Lane took six years
San Jose is searching for a developer to build permanent affordable housing at Evans Lane—six years after city leaders first approved homeless housing on the site. Records obtained by San José Spotlight show the city rejected an offer by a prominent South Bay developer to build the homes in 2016. It could have happened faster and...
San Jose homeless wary of housing at police parking lot
After decades of criminalizing the homeless—often profiling and citing individuals—San Jose now wants to house them. The San Jose City Council announced last October that a parking lot at the San Jose Police Department headquarters along Guadalupe Parkway would serve as a site for temporary homeless housing. City officials broke ground on Feb. 9 and...
Democratic club chooses Chavez for San Jose mayor
The Silicon Valley Democratic Club has overwhelmingly endorsed Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez in her campaign for San Jose mayor, with an 85% vote. On Monday, the club held a mayoral forum where candidates San Jose Councilmembers Matt Mahan and Raul Peralez along with former congressional candidate Jonathan Royce Esteban and Chavez answered six questions...
San Jose is scrambling to fill job vacancies
In an effort to fill hundreds of job vacancies at San Jose City Hall, city employees will soon see a threefold boost in their job referral bonuses. Elected leaders last week unanimously increased the city’s hiring referral bonus from $500 to $1,500. The increase will be in effect from Feb. 20 to June 30. The...
San Jose mall workers say new parking fees are wage theft
“Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Parking fees have got to go,” chanted workers protesting in front of the Westfield Valley Fair mall on Sunday. Employees of Westfield Valley Fair are fighting over newly-enacted parking fees at the high-end retail center announced by mall management in January. Employees are forced to pay $3 per day or $40...
Misleading notice scares San Jose homeless residents, may skew headcount
Homeless advocates worry that a misleading cleanup notice has prompted homeless residents along Guadalupe River to leave their camps—days ahead of an important census count. On early Friday morning, San Jose officials and contractors pulled up in trucks at the sprawling encampment along the Guadalupe River Creek near Columbus Park to haul away trash, tents...
Former San Jose sports reporter fights restraining order in court
A San Jose court is considering whether to impose a restraining order against a former Mercury News reporter, following two days of testimony about an incident that happened last summer. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Carol Overton heard closing arguments on Friday for a restraining order hearing against former sports reporter Paul Gackle requested by the...
San Jose could toss its COVID vaccine mandate
A new proposal to switch from a COVID-19 booster vaccine mandate to a testing requirement is making its way through San Jose. The discussion was poised to happen during Wednesday’s Rules committee meeting. It moved to closed session after guidance from City Attorney Nora Frimann, who said personnel issues should be discussed in private. The...
San Jose council review: Billboards, cannabis
Pot dispensaries expand. Digital billboards are approved. The new mayor’s term could be shorter and then extended. Here’s what went down at the Feb. 15 San Jose City Council meeting. Mayoral election ballot measure San Jose voters will soon decide if mayoral elections should take place in presidential election years. The City Council voted 10-1 to...