San Jose was previously considered one of the safest cities in the US. Today the city holds the dubious reputation of having one of the highest crime rates, far exceeding those of California and even the US (on a scale of crimes per 100,000 residents). An oddly disproportionate number of reported crimes are burglaries and such other related crimes that have become a cause of concern for the citizens, as well as the government. To make matters worse the number of arrests made has not kept pace with the rising crime numbers, indicating an increased number of unsolved cases in the police books.
The reason for the increase in crime rate according to the City Auditor’s report would primarily be the rising costs that have lead the San Jose Police Department (SJPD) to introduce staffing cuts as well as pay cuts for existing officers. Further, due to this staff shortage, the SJPD gives a higher preference to priority calls that involve violent crimes over calls that would involve burglary, petty thefts and such other incidents says the same report. The SJPD also has higher response times compared to average response times of comparable departments in the US. The department does not have enough officers policing the street to attend all types and categories of calls. (Erickson, 86) All these factors have contributed to rising crime rates in the city.
At some point, the citizens decided to sign a petition supporting the recruitment of 200 police officers over the next 4 years. This petition if accepted by the City of San Jose will prove beneficial not only for the people of the city but also for SJPD. It would mean more officers in the department to attend all types of calls, irrespective of priority. These increased numbers of law enforcement personnel would ensure that the crime rate would start falling since the SJPD would also be in a better position to address crimes such as thefts, burglaries and other property crimes in a more timely fashion.
In conclusion, the city should evaluate its financial position and commence the staffing at SJPD on an urgent basis since increased policing on the streets could be the sole deterrent for crime in San Jose.
Works Cited
Erickson, Sharon. “City of San José Service Efforts and Accomplishments Report 2012-13” City of San Jose: 83-89. Web. Dec 2013
Trehay, Megan. “San Jose's Crime Rate Spikes Above US, State Averages.” NBC Bay Area
