Police officers across Silicon Valley are mourning San Jose’s first community service officer killed in the line of duty — a gesture to how integral these officers have become in a city that struggles to fill its police ranks. Long Pham, a community service officer with the San Jose Police Department since 2022, was killed...
Fact check: San Jose congressional candidate’s cop claims disputed
San Jose police staffing levels have become a key dispute in Silicon Valley’s hottest and most unusual election. In a recent campaign TV ad, Congressional District 16 candidate and former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo boasts of adding 200 police officers while representing the city. But the city’s police union and state Assemblymember Ash Kalra,...
San Jose police denied immunity in excessive force lawsuit
A legal shield protecting police officers from excessive force lawsuits has taken a major blow in San Jose. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday denied qualified immunity for Michael Panighetti, a San Jose Police Department officer who shot a Black activist, Derrick Sanderlin, in the groin with a foam round while he held...
Advocates want a say in choosing San Jose police chief
San Jose leaders could select a new police chief by September. But before they do, some advocates are urging them to speak with families who lost loved ones to police shootings. The city has mounted a monthslong public outreach effort to replace former Chief Anthony Mata. The City Manager’s Office met with a consortium of grassroots social...
San Jose police cruise with lowriders on Cinco de Mayo
San Jose police will take a different approach with Cinco de Mayo festivities to mend the relationship between law enforcement and residents after last year’s actions, which some deemed racist. The community has organized a 300-vehicle lowrider parade on Sunday to pay homage to the Latino roots and history of East San Jose, a hub for lowriding...
NAACP rebukes San Jose police over viral mayor security altercation
The region’s NAACP chapter is rebuking San Jose police for the viral incident earlier this week in which a pedestrian attacked Mayor Matt Mahan’s security detail after a verbal dispute turned physical. The Rev. Jethroe Moore, president of NAACP San Jose/Silicon Valley, on Wednesday sent a critical email to acting Police Chief Paul Joseph about the incident,...
UPDATE: San Jose names new independent police auditor
San Jose has appointed a new independent police watchdog after months of scandal and instability plagued the office responsible for investigating officer malfeasance. Eddie Aubrey, who heads the office of professional accountability for the Richmond Police Department, is taking his expertise down south as San Jose’s independent police auditor (IPA). The San Jose City Council...
San Jose pushes to expand police alternative for mental health crises
Weeks before the San Jose City Council sat down to discuss this year’s budget, advocates and residents sounded the alarm about gaps in mental health services and asked officials to expand access to a non-police response program. Councilmembers on Tuesday unanimously voted to explore adding another mobile field team, known as TRUST, in the budget...
San Jose police’s failure to stop cannabis robbery fuels fight over fees
San Jose cannabis entrepreneurs say police don’t care about protecting their property, and a shocking video appears to validate their frustrations. Security camera footage obtained by San José Spotlight shows three getaway cars easily maneuvering around two San Jose Police Department vehicles and escaping unscathed after suspects robbed Exotix, a South San Jose weed shop...
San Jose taxpayers foot the bill for police collisions
Every year, San Jose receives hundreds of claims from residents because they tripped on a sidewalk or a sewage backup destroyed their property — but the most commonly settled claims are car accidents caused by police and other city employees. An analysis by San José Spotlight found that of the 1,122 claims filed by residents over...