When SJ's preliminary budget report released on Wednesday, it included massive increases for policing and a recommendation to spend permanent affordable housing money on emergency housing instead.  One bright spot in the SJ budget is the recommendation to fund a pilot program for alternative crisis response for intimate partner violence.  On the other hand, the city wants to spend $5 million next year to pay overtime for police officers and we'd like to see them spend that money instead on a second (and even third!) TRUST field team for San Jose.

Show up on Thursday May 11th from online or in person for the SJ budget session on public safety to uplift alternative (non-police) crisis response. The presentation about public safety will be from 9:30-10:30 but we have been told that they won’t take public comment until the end of the meeting (which is supposed to be a noon). Neighborhood Services budget is scheduled from 10:30-12, so we are guessing that public comment won’t happen before 11am and might not happen until 11:30.  Sign up and get more information here.