Assembly Member Joe Coto has withdrawn his request for the state legislature to audit the San Jose Police Department for its use-of-force practices.
The news arrived in the form of a dear-colleagues email that was sent out yesterday by Roxanne Miller, the city’s envoy to the state legislature:
GOOD NEWS. .. I’ve just been advised by staff to members of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee that Assembly Member Coto this morning has withdrawn his request for the JLAC to audit San Jose’s Police Department’s use of force. The item will be removed from the February 17 Agenda of JLAC. Note: A request for audit could be renewed later this year as there will be two other meetings of the JLAC to consider audit requests in May/June or in August.
A spokesperson for Alyson Huber, chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, today confirmed that Coto has in fact withdrawn his request. Huber has declined to comment on the move at this time.
The news comes while a delegation of council members, including Mayor Chuck Reed, are in Sacramento to discuss impacts of the state budget crisis on San Jose.
Last week, Reed sent Coto and Rep. Paul Fong a sternly worded letter asking them to withdraw their request for the audit. “Your request for an audit implies that there is something seriously wrong with our police force and that we are not capable of dealing with it at the local level,” he wrote, adding “Both implications are wrong.”
The Coto/Reed camps are remaining mum on the subject for now.
I wonder if Coto and Fong will find some way to give a “bailout” to San Jose to cover the millions of dollars that the courts will be awarding to the people who are abused by the SJPD instead of that investment of $250,000 worth of prevention that the audit would have provided.
You are so full of baloney you have no idea what you are talking about. San Jose pays out one of the lowest amounts of money for lawsuits. Go to ProtectSanJose.com and look at some logical and factual information provided and not just some inflamed rhetoric you like to spew.
Great editorial by former San Jose Mayor Tom McEnery in support of the SJPD. He too rips on Coto and Fong.
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_14393136
The State audit would have been worth $250,000 to prove – unethical Murky Fake News wrong
a) made up much of drunk in public and resisting arrests information,
b) hand picked cities to compare leaving our cities worst than San Jose
c) did not know or left out important information that undercut sloppy reporting to further their anti police and anti DA political agenda misleading public
Their allies – DeBug’s Raj , NAACP’s Moore and few anti police groups have made up their minds regardless of law, facts or truth and ignore anything or anyone that does not accuse police of wrongdoing
I’m ok with that, Coto and Fong backing off their request for an outside investigation and am sure many other residence are as well. The Mercury News, City Council and organizations were instrumental in bringing to light the treatment of our children, not only in downtown but in all of San Jose. The citizens had the opportunity to speak before the City Council about their greivences and share their experiences.
Some made it to the courts, some weren’t so fortunate as the injuries weren’t serious enough. Some victims left with mental scars.
Many cases never even heard because of fear of retaliation. Many were reported to IA and IPA.
If it’s any comfort to any of you victims out there, the whole world was watching. Now they, Law Enforcement Officers are being watched closely thanks to Technology, cell phones with video and sound and surveilance systems installed thoughout the city. Many were afraid of Big Brother and the fear of invasion of privacy, but in San Jose it is a good thing. It (technology) is going to be instrumental in the Court of Law and may cases will be closed and shut. Maybe now the Veteran Officers will realize the Code of Silence isn’t proper when citizens are being victimize and will hopefully speak up when witnissing abusive use of force, profiling and false arrests. It is apparent many of these posters have never been victims and are proud of our police force as well they should be, but a few officers should never be in a position of authority. Citizens keep reporting.
We (Native Americans) (Hispanics) (Blacks) (Asian) are much wiser now thanks to the efforts of the Mercury News, Councilmembers and organizations who speakup to protect us from injustice.
Mayor, please look into these cases closely and don’t be fooled by the Power Point and Graphics generated to show statistics. You wont see the problem on the display screen, it is in the reporting, witnesses and testimony of victims the citizens of San Jose. There is where you will find the truth.
God Speed
What Mr. Revisionist History or AKA, Tom McLobbyist McEnery fails to disclose is that on property he ownsor his partners own they rent to two clubs, a bar, and three other establishments that sell alcohol. He is the problem. Alas, but diversion is his specialty. The reason there is little money to expand the police force is because the city has been giving money away to support pipe dream projects like the $7 million dollar hand out to Mr. “I failed to disclose my Lobbying Meetings” McEnery for more alcohol on San Pedro Square and some fruit stands.
I’m no fan of the Mercury News and I think they gave up long ago on checking the facts but if I accuse them of faulty facts then I must also accuse Mr. McLobbyist of distortion and faulty facts in the first degree.
The recent incidents chronicled by a grainy phone cam and other incidents of “alleged” police misconduct had nothing to do with nightclubs. Yet, our former Mayor feels no shame in making the link that does not hold up to any scrutiny. This is a guy, Mayor McConflict that was the landlord for DB Coopers (mega nightclub), Club Miami (mega nightclub) The Brit (mega nightclub, good fish and chips though!), his partner is the landlord for Sabor (mega nightclub), Wagon Wheel (nightclub, good wings though!) and they are planning, after a $7 million dollar taxpayer handout (how many cops would have that supported?) to bring more establishments that serve alcohol and some fruit stands.
Mr. McMemory Loss fails to disclose that his group at the Arena, (where he is a partner, a partner able to waltz in with a City Councilmember to any event he wants and have that Councilmember carry the water for him on his $7 million dollar taxpayer folly) holds several Wild 107.7 bomb concerts that flood the downtown with every hoodlum in the Bay Area. What a mess these events bring, but it puts dollars in Mr. Revisions History’s pocket.
My solution, spend RDA money on police for the downtown and other RDA areas, use the general fund money that would be spent on those police and expand the force. Close the IPA office, its wa waste of money. Take that money and expand IA and require that investigations be done in a more timely manner and results of those investigations made public, at least what can be made public. Oh and no more handouts to guys with bad combovers that will use the taxpayer money to sell more alcohol in our downtown….that means you Mr. McLobbyist.
Mayor McConflict rents his property to bars and mega nightclubs. He rakes in money every month from the very businesses that he attacks in today’s leaflet/newspaper. This is a man without a moral compass able to guide him away from conflict of interest, sweetheart deals and feeding at the trough of the RDA for over 20 years.
If he did not rent to mega nightclubs and bars then he would have a leg to stand on. If he were not part of an ownership group at the Arena that brought in BOMB concerts and every hoodlum from the Bay Area to our downtown he would have a leg to stand on.
It is just amazing that the former Mayor talks out of both sides of his mouth all the while collecting rent from the very businesses he attacks…priceless.