Over the long weekend we learned that San Jose Police have a written policy requiring a specially trained officer to be on the scene for “known or suspected” calls involving the mentally ill. Assistant Police Chief Daniel Katz dismissed the policy saying “a (trained) officer wouldn’t have made a difference" in the police shooting of Daniel Pham. Last week Police trainer Teresa Jeglum told reporters a “staffing shortage” kept specially trained officers away and no automatic trigger existed to send such officers. This was a good story to get out over the long weekend...
And here is a story that the newspaper buried over the weekend: San Jose Police Officer Steven Payne Tasered not only San Jose State student Phuong Ho but (apparently) Officer Payne’s Taser was busy zapping 3 others over a 10 week period. Use of force expert Mark Harrison says Payne’s zap-happiness “boils down to poor leadership.” Which brings us to this piece from Malcolm Gladwell about how a very few bad apples can affect a Police Department's stature in the community and account for a big number of use of force incidents. His example is LA and worth a read...
The Merc’s Editorial Board says police and community groups could be missing an opportunity to talk about how to do things differently the next time a mentally ill person stands in front of a loaded gun.
Also on the minds of the Merc’s Editorial Board -- sending kudos to San Jose Police for capturing the gang members shooting children on Halloween. The Editorial Board remembers gang violence runs in cycles and the meetings between Police and community groups is a good first step.
The Chronicle's Matier and Ross love writing stories about the 49ers and the A's moving to the South Bay... and the past few days have been no different. They got this piece about how there is "No O in A's"... And then this in today's paper: Senator Boxer and her (politically ambitious) son Doug are lobbying Major League Baseball to keep the A's in Oakland. Perhaps this would be a good time for Senate Candidate Fiorina to chime in on San Jose's behalf?...
Another story you may have missed over the long week: San Jose City Councilmember Pete Constant misses many, many, many meetings. More than Councilmember Nora Campos (who had a baby) and Vice Mayor Judy Chirco (who had cancer treatment)... For you Councilmember Constant:
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Owners of million (plus) dollar homes in San Jose’s Evergreen are pissed about plans for more neighbors. Count on Sateesh Lele to show up at San Jose’s City Council meeting this week to argue more neighbors will “degrade” the “investment (they) made in (their) quality of life.” Right, because there is currently no traffic in Evergreen that could possibly degrade anyone's quality of life...
It was 1998 when Congress approved millions to buy land for a new Federal courthouse in San Jose. The Feds will reportedly make a decision from the short list next year. San Jose Councilmember Sam Liccardo suggests the empty/new Sobrato building would keep the Feds happy by keeping the courthouse downtown. U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel was (apparently) feeling snippy when he said “we want a courthouse and want to get this done.” The problem there is after selection, they need another $100 million from the Feds. Perhaps Mayor Reed's plea for stimulus money could include another $100 million?
The Merc’s Scott Herhold was amused to find San Jose Councilmember/ outsourcing champion/ tech geek Pierluigi Oliverio voting against a tech tool San Jose Libraries have been using (courtesy of a State grant). Head Librarian Jane Light offers “we know we have a need (for tutoring), and the use is quite high.” Herhold completes the thought with “…teaching kids might come to the top of the (spending) list.”
Thanksgiving weekends are all about the sports… Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese is spending time on the road convincing local City Councils to support the San Jose A’s. Former Santa Clara City Councilmember Lisa Gillmor hired political heavyweights Ed McGovern and Jude Barry to win voters over to the 49ers team...
Perhaps the 49ers political folks would like to know this: Willie Brown was lunching at a very fancy San Francisco establishment with Jed York, the 49ers President... hmmm...
GOP gubernatorial wannabe’s Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman are trading a lot more than barbs. Seems Poizner’s (former) consultant joined the Whitman team. Pissed off Poizner-ites leaked memos are hoping to discredit the consultant by showing off his calls for Poizner to learn Spanish, win over the right and bring on the policy wonks.
Keeping an eye on local government meetings will be easy this week, thanks to the Merc...
- The Campbell Union School District Measure H Oversight Committee will double check expenditures and construction.
- The Los Gatos Union School District gets an update on property tax revenues.
- Sunnyvale’s City Council hears about the possibility of using City funds to help combat graffiti on private property.
- In Monte Sereno, the City Council will consider joining the CaliforniaFIRST “clean energy” financing effort.
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