Emergency calls for police and fire services in San José are increasing, while staffing remains tight. Every minute matters when responding to emergencies, so the City is working to make the best use of its people and resources.

What's going well 

San José’s Police and Fire Departments are highly respected and known for innovation and strong community service.

Challenges     

It’s hard to recruit and keep enough police officers nationwide. Fire stations are also stretched thin, especially in the city’s center.

What the City is doing

• Police Marketing and Recruitment: The Police Department is expanding academy class sizes and offering bonuses to attract experienced officers.
• Police Report Transcription Pilot: A new report-writing tool using voice transcription will help officers spend less time on paperwork and more time in the field. 
• Police Patrol Deployment Projects: New patrol programs aim to reduce wait times for service calls and improve officer safety. 
• Fire Station 32: The City is opening a new fire station, Fire Station 32, to meet growing demand.
• Fire Closest Unit Dispatch: The City is testing a new system that sends the closest fire unit to medical emergencies, not just the one assigned to that area. 

Many 911 calls in San José involve mental health or emotional crises that could be handled through the new 988 crisis line instead. But 988 is still new, and not everyone knows about it. Some 911 call takers are also unsure when to transfer calls, which can add stress for police and firefighters and delay the right kind of help for residents. 

What’s going well

The City is already working with the County’s strong mobile crisis response network connected to 988. 

Challenges

It’s difficult to quickly identify mental health calls, and too few people know to call 988 directly. 

What the City is doing

• Better coordination with 911-988 Call Transfer: New 911–988 call transfer rules will help call takers know when to send calls to 988. The City and County are also training staff and exploring adding a behavioral health expert to the 911 center. 
• 988 Community Education: The City is helping promote 988 so more people know when to use it instead of 911. See chart below.
• First Responder Fee Program: A new First Responder Fee, billed mostly to insurance, will help cover the growing costs of medical emergency services while protecting residents who can’t pay.

Crime in San José is going down overall, but some crimes—like organized retail theft, drug-related crimes, and others—require a more targeted approach. 

What’s going well

San José has lower violent and property crime rates than most large cities in the U.S. 

Challenges

Some crimes are hard to reduce and reflect statewide problems, which means they need ongoing focus and teamwork. 

What the City is doing

• Real-Time Intelligence Center: The Police Department is expanding its Real Time Intelligence Center with more cameras and license plate readers to help solve crimes faster and catch offenders. 
• Organized Retail Theft Detail: A special police team, funded by a state grant, is targeting organized retail theft through extra patrols, investigations, and new technology. 
• Mission Street Recovery Station: Police are working with the County’s Mission Street Recovery Station to send more people with non-violent misdemeanors to treatment instead of jail. 
• Proposition 36: The City is watching how California’s Proposition 36 affects local drug and theft cases to coordinate better with partners. 
• San José Youth Empowerment Alliance: The City is increasing access to programs for justice-involved youth. 

Speeding is the main cause of serious collisions and deaths on San José roads. In the past, streets were built to move cars quickly, not necessarily safely. Now, the City is focused on saving lives through its Vision Zero plan, which aims to end traffic deaths and severe injuries. These combined efforts aim to build a transportation system that values safety over speed and protects everyone—drivers, walkers, bikers, and those using wheelchairs or scooters. 

What’s going well

San José was one of the first cities in the country to adopt Vision Zero in 2015 and has made steady progress improving road safety. 

Challenges

Changing driving habits and redesigning old streets takes time. Progress can feel slow, but each project helps make roads safer. 

What the City is doing

• Traffic Safety Construction Projects: The City is completing traffic safety projects that add better crosswalks, bike lanes, and calming measures to slow cars down. 
• Automated Traffic Enforcement Technology: New cameras will catch red-light running and speeding along dangerous corridors, part of a state-approved Speed Safety System Pilot Program.