San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, joined by county law enforcement and prosecutors, is backing a last-minute sales tax to protect Santa Clara County’s public hospitals from massive federal cuts. It comes after Mahan — along with the county’s Deputy Sheriffs Association and Government Attorneys Association — initially cast doubt and uncertainty about his stance on...
San Jose reins back plan to put police on horses
San Jose police are going to have to wait until next year to potentially get back in the saddle. The City Council on Tuesday voted 6-4-1 to again hold off on reinstating the San Jose Police Department’s Horse Mounted Unit, which operated for more than 100 years until its 2018 disbanding due to financial and...
San Jose police reach tentative pay agreement amid tension
After tense negotiations marked by charges of sabotage and retaliation, San Jose police have reached a tentative agreement with the city for a significant pay raise over the next three years. The deal still needs to be approved by the union and City Council, which could happen later this month. If approved, San Jose Police...
San Jose police officer sues property owner over injuries
A new lawsuit could stage a battle between landlords and police in Silicon Valley, as a San Jose officer blames the owner of a property for injuries she sustained during a critical incident at the site. Her lawyer says more lawsuits are coming. San Jose police officer Erin Allen suffered life-threatening — and career-ending —...
UPDATE: San Jose leaders say “No” to stronger police oversight
San Jose’s independent police auditor wants to review every use-of-force case — a level of oversight the county sheriff already accepts. But city officials unanimously rejected the idea at Police Chief Paul Joseph’s request. Out of 400 total incidents where San Jose police used their weapons or hands on people in 2024, 13 resulted in...
San Jose settles for $620K over police brutality claims
City officials are paying out more than half-a-million dollars after officers injured protesters rallying against police brutality in summer 2020. The $620,000 settlement comes in response to a civil rights lawsuit filed five years ago by the NAACP San Jose/Silicon Valley, San Jose Peace and Justice Center and community organizers such as Derrick Sanderlin —...
San Jose police help Valley Water cite, arrest homeless residents
Santa Clara County’s largest water agency can’t cite or arrest homeless people creating pollution or trespassing on its property — but the police unit it contracts with can. It’s part of Valley Water’s Stream Stewardship Law Enforcement program, where San Jose Police Department officers from the street crimes unit go out to homeless encampments along...
San Jose police and fire unions want reserve funds to fill vacancies
Union leaders representing hundreds of San Jose police officers, firefighters and other workers said they shouldn’t be dealing with service and staffing cuts when the city has millions in reserve funds. Leaders with the San Jose Police Officers’ Association and San Jose Fire Fighters Local 230 are arguing the city has the necessary funding to...
San Jose homeless people say police citations are harassment
San Jose police continue to issue handwritten tickets to homeless people even after the department switched to electronic citations — a practice that is raising questions. Four homeless residents encamped near Cherry Avenue along the Guadalupe River said police regularly patrol the area and give out tickets for trespassing and littering. The behavior has those...
San Jose police beat homeless man as mayor pushes arrests
Less than a week after Mayor Matt Mahan announced a bold push to arrest homeless people who refuse help, disturbing videos show San Jose police officers beating and verbally taunting an elderly homeless man — leading to a complaint from the local NAACP chapter. At least six police surrounded a homeless man on Fruitdale Avenue...