Foot Patrol Program for a Safer San Jose
“Safety isn’t expensive, it’s priceless.” said a famous American football player, Jerry smith
Safety is one of the primary concerns for people living in urban cities like San Jose. Knowing that we’re safe helps us enjoy our life more and do things that matter to us. Whether it is commuting back and forth to work, having a night out with friends, or simply exploring the downtown on a weekend, safety is the first thing we consider.
With the latest crimes reported in San Jose, it's no wonder why the people living within these city limits feel unsafe. The residents who are affected the most are those who live in the areas with the highest crime rate. This blog is meant to help us as residents have an open discussion around the topic of safety in order to make San Jose safer for everyone.
Nothing makes a community lose hope like violence and crime and knowing that they are not safe in their own neighborhood.
A healthy community is dependent on a number of factors - low crime rates, good jobs, effective schools, affordable and quality housing, and thriving local businesses. How is it possible for local businesses to flourish when people are afraid to go about walking freely in downtown? How is it possible to attract new residents to a community knowing it’s unsafe?
Eric Glader, Founder of UVI, shares his personal experience with a robbery at his office in an interview with abc7news.
"The office I'm in has been robbed three times, our restaurants have had their windows broken, graffiti happened. And so, all of these isolated incidents aren't major things that don't take place every day in other cities around the world. But in aggregate, it's just happening all the time, and it's enough."
His experience with so-called "beat cops," have been impactful.
"There were beat cops in the neighborhood that knew the butcher, knew the spice person, knew the convenience store operator, knew me as a 23-year-old kid walking the streets to and from the subway," he shared. "And when you have that element of trust, it creates community within its own right, it creates relationships."
Effective law enforcement leaders are constantly looking for ways to improve and strengthen the relations between the police and the community. Community policing is a powerful way to inculcate a sense of safety in the residents and have confidence in going about freely in the city. Additionally, it also improves police-community relations.
To address the safety issue in San Jose, we have started a petition to reinstate the Downtown Foot Patrol Program in downtown San Jose. It is a routinely assigned community police walking beat that focuses on pedestrian safety, business security, narcotics, homelessness, and all quality-of-life issues in downtown San Jose.
We’ve crossed our goal of 500 signatures on the Foot Patrol Program petition and now we’re pushing to reach 1000 with your help.
What’s the measure of success of the Foot Patrol Program?
Foot Patrol Program’s success will be a direct reflection of the following:
Constantly visible community policing presence
Reduction of blight
Low crime rates
Low violence in school zones
Friendly contacts with downtown residents and businesses
A lower number of complaints
Increased feeling of safety in local residents and visitors
Your safety is important. You should be able to feel safe in your own city. No one should be afraid to go out and enjoy the great life we have in San Jose. Let's make our San Jose safer for all! Join the movement towards a safer and more secure San Jose. Sign our petition to help reinstate the Foot Patrol Program.