San Jose officials have approved a 15.7% pay raise for police officers through 2029.
The City Council’s unanimous decision on Tuesday will cost taxpayers roughly $46 million in wage hikes for officers represented by the San Jose Police Officers’ Association over the next three years, according to a city analysis. This total excludes unfunded pension liabilities. Officers will see a 7% raise this year, 5% next year and 3% in 2027-28, compounded over 39 months. The agreement will go through 2029-30. Officials want to use the city’s salaries and benefits reserve to cover some of this year’s costs during the upcoming midyear budget review.
“The increase in pay and benefits approved by the mayor and council is a demonstration of the vital importance police officers play in keeping San Jose residents safe, as well as a recognition of the sacrifices made by our rank and file,” Steve Slack, police union president, told San José Spotlight.
Councilmembers voiced enthusiasm over the deal — arguing it will make San Jose more competitive in officer recruitment and help shore up a yearslong staffing shortage. But District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz balanced his optimism with the public safety realities of the East San Jose neighborhoods he represents.
“We have people boasting and ranking the headlines about being the safest big city in America — which is something we should be proud of — and that may be true in some ZIP codes, but it’s not the experience felt by some residents in the Foothill Division,” Ortiz said at the meeting. “If anything, issues in our area are underreported. Our small businesses, pillars of our neighborhoods, are being hit (with burglaries) repeatedly.”
On one hand, Ortiz said pay increases will attract Spanish and Vietnamese language officers who can actually reflect his district. But he said the city needs to invest more in youth intervention programs that will help curb gang violence and robberies in more meaningful ways.
“I was a former gang member. I was able to turn my life around thanks to intervention programs funded by this city — the Mexican American Community Services Agency, the clean slate program,” Ortiz said. “There is no shortage of smart kids who are caught up in violence and gangs.”
Approval of the agreement comes after the police union in recent months launched scathing rebukes against City Hall and San Jose Police Department leadership over cuts to overtime pay and officer discipline.
In July, the union blasted City Manager Jennifer Maguire — tasked with absorbing the strain of a structural budget deficit — for making top-down cuts to overtime pay for SJPD’s Bureau of Investigations. The union called the decision “sabotage” against major crimes investigations and “retaliation” against labor leaders for exercising their bargaining rights. The union also accused department leaders of incompetence and corruption over a deputy chief’s altering of personnel records that led to the termination of an officer.
The deal shows the union and city are reconciling these issues, with changes to discipline procedures and a more systematic approach to reducing overtime through scheduling and operational changes. Certain 911 calls will also be delegated to non-police staff. The city will evaluate certain calls related to homelessness, mental health and quality of life, welfare checks and juvenile disturbances.
Maguire acknowledged the sweat and tears behind the vote.
“It does take a village and I really appreciate everyone keeping at that negotiation, because obviously, there were lots of issues to resolve and I think we all came out better for it,” she said at the meeting.
Mayor Matt Mahan said the agreement acknowledges officers “who do some of the hardest, most essential and frankly most dangerous work in our community.”
“It helps us stay competitive by offering incentives to attract experienced officers at a time where I think we all know recruitment for this role in particular is challenging,” he said before the vote.
Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X.
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