We the undersigned community members, business owners, corporations and members of the arts community in San Jose’s downtown neighborhood, urge the Mayor and City Councilmembers to fully reinstate the Downtown Foot Patrol Program as a routinely assigned community policing walking beat. We request that the program be fully funded with on-going revenue during the upcoming fiscal year budget process.

Also, City staff should be directed to discuss with the County Sheriff, San Jose State PD, and PBID Officers, opportunities to coordinate a community policing walking beat program for the benefit of downtown residents, students, transit riders along the light rail, and Santa Clara Street bus corridors. The community policing program should focus on pedestrian safety, business security, narcotics, homelessness, and all quality-of-life issues. The overall success of the foot patrol program would be based on a constant visible community policing presence, the reduction of blight, lower crime stats, friendly contacts with downtown residents and businesses, lower number of complaints, and an increased feeling of safety from visitors and local downtown residents.