Despite years of effort to rein in spending on police overtime and reduce 9-1-1 call response times, San Jose continues to struggle on both fronts, according to a new report from the City Auditor’s Office. The report, which went before the City Council Tuesday, shows San Jose spent $72 million on police overtime between June...
Divided San Jose council approves police housing preference
A measure to allow San Jose Police Department personnel to jump to the front of the line in a new workforce housing effort has won approval. But the victory comes only after sharp dissent on the City Council, amid criticism the plan is unfair to other city workers. The amendment, which modifies a recently approved...
San Jose homeless housing site worker arrested on drug charges
A caseworker at a housing site for formerly homeless people in San Jose has been arrested for possessing drugs with an intent to sell — months after former workers repeatedly raised concerns to managers of suspected drug dealing between the caseworker and residents. Police arrested Yasmin Wright, 46, on Monday outside the Branham Lane temporary...
San Jose skips housing offers for some homeless residents
In San Jose, how you get treated as a homeless person depends on where you end up on the streets. The city appears to be giving preferential treatment to homeless residents living in large encampments like Columbus Park and the reestablished Jungle in East San Jose, when it comes to outreach and offers of temporary...
Reported crime in San Jose fell in 2025
Reported crime figures in San Jose continued to decline in 2025, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. Last year’s drop in violent crimes has accelerated a downward trend that began in 2024 after such crimes peaked the previous year. Violent crime last year fell 15% compared to 2024, while property crime dropped 7%, the...
Proposed San Jose police settlement prompts calls for reform
Local civil rights leaders are calling for a revived campaign of police reform in the South Bay. The appeal to local leaders comes in response to a pending settlement stemming from a 2022 police shooting in San Jose that left a Black college student with multiple injuries. The proposed $8 million settlement with San Jose...
Lawsuit alleges San Jose license plate readers violate privacy rights
A new lawsuit by local advocacy groups alleges San Jose’s use of data collected by automated license plate readers deployed around town violates drivers’ privacy rights The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Santa Clara County Superior Court, takes aim at the city’s practice of allowing the San Jose Police Department to search a vast database of license...
San Jose approves expanded Taser, body cam contract for police
For years, police technology firm Axon Enterprises has been dogged by accusations that it’s attempting to unfairly corner the market on Tasers and body-worn cameras for law enforcement. Despite some hand wringing, the San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday, with Vice Mayor Pam Foley absent, to approve a new, expanded contract with the firm to...
San Jose scratches head over official’s ethical dilemma
The San Jose Police Department pays $55,000 a month to rent an evidence warehouse on Monterey Road. The owner: a San Jose official who votes on police spending. District 6 Councilmember Michael Mulcahy is the managing partner of his private, family-owned real estate firm SDS NexGen Partners, which has leased the warehouse to the city...
Vandalism in downtown Willow Glen on the rise
Willow Glen is known for its quaint charm and affluent San Jose neighborhoods, but a surge in crime is making local businesses uneasy. Downtown Willow Glen, a small strip of shops along Lincoln Avenue, has experienced about 30 reports of vandalism and theft since June, according to San Jose Police Department data. Some of those...