San Jose Poised to Have Fewest Police on Force Since 1985

If the trend continues, San Jose's police force will be reduced to staffing levels not seen in about 30 years, according to the chief.

There simply aren’t enough boots on the street and it appears the problem is getting worse. That is the grim message delivered by SJPD Chief Larry Esquivel to San Jose City Council on Tuesday.

In October, there were 962 street-ready sworn officers on the force. If the current rates of hiring, retirement and resignation continue, that number is expected to drop to 862 in July 2017, a level not seen since 1985.

The projection is based on the notion that up to 135 new officers will come through the academy every year, 45 members per class.

Jim Unland, president of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association, said the chief's projections are optimistic, and public safety will be threatened.

"Eventually, we won't have the officers to police a city of 1 million," he said. "You'll see property crime go higher than it already is. You will see it go through the roof, and we won’t have anyone left to do investigations.”

Unland said staffing won’t increase until the city addresses pension reform.

But Mayor-Elect Sam Liccardo said the city is pursuing other options.

“We got extra pay for officers who are bilingual, working with retirees and tweaking disability a little, so if you’re hurt, officers know they still get a paycheck,” Liccardo said.

The department has even hired a marketing firm, which launched a recruitment campaign Tuesday. The question, though, is: Will it work fast enough to beef up a shrinking force?

San Jose has had only 55 new officers come through the academy in the past two classes. Academy classes used to have as many as 60 cadets, the Mercury News reported.

Chris Roberts contributed to this report.

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