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The recent robbery of a 64-year-old Asian woman on South Second Street in Downtown San Jose was on the minds of attendees at San Jose Downtown Association’s first virtual public meeting of the year. The discussion of downtown safety was a last-minute addition to the meeting’s agenda. But the association said its agenda had to...
San Jose police chief finalists talk racial equity, biased policing and use of force
Seven law enforcement leaders vying to be San Jose’s next police chief Saturday answered questions from residents about everything from racial equity to biased policing and use of force. The virtual forum was facilitated by Gary Peterson, who led the recruitment process. He picked a handful of questions from more than 500 submitted through an online survey. The forum...
San Jose mayor forms new advocacy group to get ‘a little more control’
Mayor Sam Liccardo has started a new advocacy organization called “Solutions San Jose.” Some political insiders say it could rival lobbying and fundraising activities of the Silicon Valley Organization, the area’s largest chamber of commerce which has lost business members and dissolved its PAC following a scandal last year over its use of a racist...
Hazard pay is coming to San Jose for grocery workers
Hazard pay is finally on its way for San Jose grocery workers. After hours of debate, the San Jose City Council voted 7-3 on Tuesday to give retail food workers an extra $3 per hour for putting their health at risk during the pandemic. Hazard pay would apply only to stores that have over 300...
San Jose leaders agree Thomas Fallon statue must be removed
After residents demanded for decades the Thomas Fallon statue, seen as a symbol of oppression by many, be taken from its lofty perch in the center of downtown San Jose, a key panel agreed. The Rules and Open Government Committee of the San Jose City Council, which sets future City Council agendas, voted unanimously Wednesday...
San Jose police introduce ‘less lethal’ weapons in place of guns, rubber bullets, batons
In a direct response to criticism during last year’s Black Lives Matter protests, San Jose police officers have been trying new tools meant to reduce harm and injury. In a report coming before the San Jose City Council today, Acting Police Chief David Tindall said new TASER models, pepper gel and tether launchers — used...
Post-scandal, former SVO leader Matt Mahood launches San Jose consulting firm
Rising from the ashes of scandal, former Silicon Valley Organization CEO Matt Mahood has a new gig — working for himself. The business executive founded a consulting firm called MRM strategies in January, three months after a racist attack ad was published on SVO’s website under his watch. The ad sparked outrage from lawmakers and community members alike...
Top questions about Opportunity Housing in San Jose answered
Opportunity Housing is the city’s latest strategy for solving San Jose’s housing crisis — but critics fear the policy may plummet property values, increase traffic congestion and destroy single-family neighborhoods. Supporters, however, say densifying those neighborhoods will boost San Jose’s affordable housing stock — which is much-needed in a city where the median cost of a single-family home...
Homeless families get keys to new tiny houses in Santa Clara County
For most, a 100-square-foot room would be barely enough space for a closet or a knick-knack storage room. For others, it now means getting off the street. “My daughters are very excited to have their own tiny home and are grateful to be here,” said Arely in Spanish through a translator. She did not want...
Survey finds opposition to high-density zoning in San Jose but critics say poll is flawed
Roughly half of San Jose residents surveyed in a new poll oppose an initiative to boost the number of homes allowed in single-family neighborhoods. According to initial survey results, 48% of San Jose residents are opposed to Opportunity Housing, while 24% of residents support the initiative. Roughly a quarter of residents polled said they need...