San Jose mayor banks on downtown police presence to boost business
SAN JOSE - Like most downtowns, the pandemic took a toll on downtown San Jose, and the area is still recovering.
Business at Hammer & Lewis Fashion has improved lately, says Ivette, the sales manager. However, she says the downtown environment around her shop needs some work.
"Sometimes there are weird things that happen out here," she said. "That's why most people don't want to come downtown."
While she doesn't feel unsafe or say there is a major crime problem, she'd like to see downtown move in a better direction.
"When you come down the street and see all the empty spaces with the businesses, you wonder, what's going on? People get leery and they ask questions like how come it's so dead down here?" she said. "I think a lot of people are afraid of the landscape."
That's what Mayor Matt Mahan hopes to change. After joining one of SJPD's downtown foot patrols on Thursday, where he met with business owners, Mahan said safety is a foundational component to reinvigorating downtown.
"There's a lot happening, but of course, foundational to it, is safety. If you don't feel safe, it's hard to want to spend time, money, or invest and bring in a new business or building the housing that we need. That's why I've made improving safety one of our big three priorities," he said.
According to SJPD data, there were around 3,000 more reported property crimes in the city in 2022 than there were in 2021.
"We added four officers to the budget last year for our downtown walking beat," Mahan said. "I've called for a range of investments. Number one is doubling the rate at which we hire officers for our department. We had budgeted 15 new officers per year, I've expanded that to 30. We're going to increase staffing."
Ivette thinks the idea is worth a shot.
"I think it would be better for the people out here, people would feel safer if there were more police officers," she said.
Her vision of downtown San Jose is more vibrant that the area currently is.
"There needs to be more people and more businesses, you know, because everything is so empty."
