San Jose Police welcomed the nightclub Wet to town by closing the SoFA district, four blocks of it, from Reed to San Carlos streets between Market and Second. The well-attended opening, possibly a downtown record-setter for a new club, drew lines nearly a block long, including many clubbers who couldn’t make it past the velvet rope to the sold-out venue. Wet features a live shark aquarium and falling water features in the old deco-era Studio movie theater, which previously housed Polly Esther’s, Cabana and Glo.
The large sucking sound echoing through the empty street was from precious tax dollars being spent to supervise a crowd that turned out to be well behaved, as club security handled patrons capably.
Nonetheless, at least a dozen cruisers stacked up on three sides of the intersection. Clumps of police stood on two corners. Officers in commando outfits adopted aggressive, wide stances in the middle of First Street, with thumbs in their belts and hands on their service revolvers. A PD videographer filmed patrons on the sidewalk outside the club. This was all much ado about nothing. We repeat, nothing happened. Calls to the SJPD press office and downtown entertainment zone supervisor Brian Kneis yielded no information other than a we’ll-get-back-to-you.
Give us a break will you? Do the Metro and Murky News own a share in these clubs or something? The way they bash the Police all the time I think they must.
Hopefully the good behavior continues and the SJPD get the point. I can see the wariness about a grand opening, but the heavy presence should be lessened soon.
Is the harm here that our City has its character impacted, that this is a waste of resources, or that club business is impacted?
I sincerely doubt anyone’s business lost money as a result. I sincerely doubt that part of our City has any character to impact at this point. So that leaves resources . . . is there a more dangerous part of the city to be patrolling at that particular hour?
The answer to the implied question is “Yes, it has come to this.” But I don’t blame the SJPD.
Why didn’t your crew film the racial make up of the crowd? Are you afraid that if the public sees the make up is predominately Hispanic your claims of “racist profiling” would be shot to hell? Or are you afraid that if the community sees the public drunkenness and fighting you’ll have to change the way you report problems in downtown?
I find this video appalling. You guys better make sure that your film crew isn’t impeding an Officer from helping a crime victim by pushing a camera in the Officer’s face. You just may end up being on the front page of the Mercury News yourselves for Obstruction of Justice. I’d like to see how you’d like someone holding a camera up in your face while trying to do your job, just so they can sell ad space in his or her magazine.
#4 Its sad that your first thought upon watching the video is “racial profiling.” The crowd is shown in the video, its up to you decide who is of what race as that isn’t the purpose of showing you this video. However, I am sure you wouldn’t have a problem watching the Police Department’s video, at least the “edited” version that depicts one incident blown out of proportion to justify their tactics.
But I digress….
I believe that posting this video serves a useful purpose. It shows, in an unbiased way, what occurs every night in the downtown core, good and bad.
The Police Department’s mentality is very closed minded in their approach to crowd control and nightlife management. Instead of using skill, they use force, an overzealous amount at that.
If San Jose’s goal is to become a 24-hour, “Big City,” the San Jose Police Department hasn’t gotten the memo. The Department hasn’t learned to embrace and adapt to the influx of visitors to Downtown San Jose as evidenced by this video, instead they would rather kick them out or prevent them from entering.
The City and its police department must change its approach and its mentality and begin thinking out of the box as did so many of our valley’s great entrepreneurs in forging a name for themselves.
Nightlife is a key part of any urban experience. Why should San Jose be so different and chase theirs away? Instead of helping the nightclub in creating a responsible crowd management plan for the betterment of the City and its residents, the Entertainment Zone Sgt. decided to play the “GOTCHA” game as occured here and with the Downtown Association’s Music in The Other Park.
Its time for a CHANGE and we need it NOW.
YAWN! Another copwatch video. Wake me when the next article pops up.
This is normal practice of the police downtown on a Friday and Saturday night, they are out if full force. Their time would be better spent patrolling our neighborhoods, having limited officers downtown and being called in when there is a need.
The show of force and their attitude drives business away, a 24 hour city has a mix of clubs, stores and residences. It’s time for the police to stop running our city and let us have the 24 hour city we all desire.
We keep hearing about how we are not the “Safest Big City” anymore, that is because the police focus too much on downtown nigthlife and not what is going on in our neighborhoods. The quest for that title gives will instead give us a new title “The Most Boring Downtown” after dark.
Let’s just look at our nieghbor San Francisco. I went to a sold out concert (2000 people) Tuesday night (Girl Talk) inside the Fillmore, Only 1 police car was present. What is it going to take to try other methods?
There have been a couple of times I’ve called the police about questionable activity on my street (a 20 minute walk north of the downtown core), during the wee hours on either a Friday or Saturday night (why does all the questionable activity happen on a Friday or Saturday anyway?).
The response I have received is that there is a shortage of police officers patrolling the area since the resources are ‘diverted downtown.’
I hope what we’ve seen on the You Tube video is only an anomaly and that resources will be freed up to respond to other calls in other parts of the City.
Tina
I know that there were some major problems with other clubs that formerly occupied that corner, so I don’t blame the police for being cautious. I don’t see them harassing any members of the public in the video.
Once the club gets going and there aren’t such big crowds out in the street, if the customers prove to be well-behaved, then the police presence should diminish. If it doesn’t, then there would be cause for complaint. But judging from opening night is a bit premature.
Members of the public have an absolute right to film uniformed police in the performance of their duties at any place and time. Exceptions: where public safety is a concern (hostage situations and the like), where the privacy rights of members of the public is at risk, or undercover operations. But in general we have a right to film whatever goes on in the street—police operations, parades, political demonstrations, etc.
If the police are going about their public duties properly, they should have no objection to being filmed. It may be a bit annoying for them, but it comes with the job. I don’t see the cops in the video trying to stop the filming, even though they don’t look happy about it.
Is it necessary to put out a group of officers as a show of force or can the same number be deployed differently? I visited a downtown club and I did notice that by 1pm there is a lot of officers gathered on 1st street. My first reaction was to get the heck out of dodge. I guess that’s the intention and it succeeds at it. In contrast while visiting Burbon street in New Orleans I didn’t see such visible presence. I’m sure there were officers around but it didn’t feel like police were getting ready for riot control.
The cops had “their thumbs in their belts…” Oh, the humanity!
So what, exactly, is the problem depicted in this video? (Other than really bad camera work and what appears to be very selective editing!)
All I see is about a dozen cops whose presence seems to help maintain order outside a club where hundreds of patrons are trying to get in. If anything, the video shows the large police presence works. (Anyone want to advance an argument that this large crowd would have remained trouble-free had the cops been elsewhere?)
The only aggressive behavior we see in the video comes from the not-so-swift camera operator who baits the cops by shoving his camera into cops faces. But, you notice how they don’t take the bait?
Where is the evidence of racial profiling some of you are talking about? How is this police presence driving business away from this club which clearly has more business than it can handle?
If anything this video seems to support the idea that the police do a good job maintaining order. That’s not to say there are not problems with the policing of downtown, but this video proves zilch.
Then again, as the Flypaper says, this is “much ado about nothing.”
No kidding!
I used to work in the club scene downtown.
I now own a place in Los Gatos. Please keep doing what your doing. Your police policies push 1,000’s of good people to Los Gatos from San Jose every weekend.
If you stopped, many more good people would enjoy your downtown on more than a Sharks Game. So please, keep pushing them our way. We won’t give them a drunk in public!!!We love the revenue!!!!
#5- Concerned Downtowner,
I want to assure you that I have, on many occasion, gone downtown and witnessed first hand what goes on down there. You may find drunken brawls, property damage, public urination, drunken driving, and the like acceptable, but I personally do not. I also find this harassment of our Police Department quite offensive, and unacceptable. Shoving a video camera into a Police Officer’s face while he or she is trying to ensure the safety and wellbeing of innocent citizens, and people’s property is going just a bit too far for my taste, but you of course are entitled to your opinion.
It makes no sense for there being a large scale police presence at a nightclub opening. Last time I checked that is not an illegal activity.
Great point! SJPD keeps the other downtowns in business! Keep them coming to Mt. View, we love your money!
#17 Witness: Why is it OK for you guys to film the cops, but if the cops film the night club patrons it’s a “disregard for basic constitutional rights”? In a public place anyone can film anything.
BTW your video shows that your cameraman clearly got in the face of the cop holding the camera. The cop behind the traffic box (a different cop from the one with the camera) only suggests that the shaky camera operator move elsewhere, then walks away and does not make an issue of it. If that’s supposed to be intimidation our Police need lessons in how to act tough!
#15 LG Barman: If you ever get that kind of a crowd standing in front of your LG bar you can be sure the LGPD will be out in force, and probably call in extra help from San Jose!
This video just presents what occurred: a huge police presence during an uneventful club closing.
#8 The photographer was recording the video from behind the traffic control boxes on the southwest corner of S. First and San Salvador. The video was not shoved in the officer’s face. The officer walked around the boxes in an attempt to intimidate the photographer and instructed the photographer to stop filming even though he had a legal right to do so. It was the officer who got in the photographer’s face.
Why was SJPD standing in the middle of the street with hands on their weapons and recording patrons with a zoom lens? The SJPD has yet to answer for what went on. Why are they doing this and is this a service that San Jose citizens want to pay for in these tough times?
It seems that there is a disregard for basic constitutional rights, like freedom of peaceful assembly, and a government that is intimidating a business’ customers by so blatanly recording them and by as well as intimidating those who exercise the public’s right to report on and scrutinize government actions.
To #18 “another witness”
You say San Jose is a joke and you will instead stick to Campbell’s nightlife.
Check out this article because the joke is on you. Campbell is going to place more restrictions on bars because of all the alcohol related problems their city is having. When are you going to wake up and realize it is the drunks causing the problem and quit looking for a scapegoat in the police officers?
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10847951?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
#19 NTFV,
“that kind of crowd”??? do you mean persons of color? if that is the case, howsad for you. Downtown San Jose, Los Gatos and the rest of the south bay is very ethnically diverse. So it is said you police persons are so against have “dark” people show up in your downtown
if you mean that large a crowd? We can and do have large groups of people in Los Gatos. And our police don’t mind. They actually threat visitors with respect and appreciate visitors spending money in our town. Your police don’t and could care less if people spend money or not!
#19
What do you mean by:
“#15 LG Barman: If you ever get that kind of a crowd standing in front of your LG bar you can be sure the LGPD will be out in force, and probably call in extra help from San Jose!”
What “kind” of crowd are you referring to? Im interested in knowing because it is the same language City officals use. Terms like “those people” and “that music”
I think in the bigger scope of things you really lack knowledge of the problems here in Downtown San Jose. Come join us for a night so that we can maybe open your eyes.
I was in the club that night. The police also had at lesst three officers filming guest. Basically, the police were walking around filming any person in place.
It’s very pathetic and rude. They want people to behave and act like adults. But they treat us like animals.
San Jose is a Joke. I will stick to Campbells nightlife.
#21 & 22: Well now! Isn’t this an interesting bit of race baiting innuendo?
By “that kind of crowd” I meant…well…a crowd. As in a large gathering of people. Sorry to disappoint, but there was no hidden meaning, code or invisible ink. Sheesh!
Barman, the few really large crowds you get in LG are few and far between. The big events at Hannigans might be comparable in size to a routine weekend in SJ, but they happen just a few times a year. The Wednesday summer jazz crowds are mostly 40-50ish and rowdyism is rare. By contrast downtown SJ is busy most weekends and, let’s face it, stuff happens. The policing requirements are far different.
The next time Scott Seaman or one of his brass stops in be sure to ask him what the PD would do if LG should start seeing SJ’s crowds. It’s a question they’ve been asked before which is why I referenced it in #19.
I agree with you that the cops in LG do a good job of policing the town’s night life, but it really isn’t comparable to SJ.
Good for the SJPD they are doing their jobs, I have seen things go bad down there too many times. The role of police officer does not mean just to show up when everything hits the fan, they are their as a show of force and protection keeping things safe. Those idiots who drive down from Oakland in the RV shooting guns out the window (I wish I was making that up) will think twice.
I live in the cambrian area and don’t go to DT san jose because of the intimidating police standing every where in the street. I believe every bit of the reports against the police in this case. This is not just San jose police it in Los Gatos also. The police over their are so nasty. You would think they would be the nicest police any where a sweet little town like that and the police are vicious. I think they should send them to a real tough city so they can see what it means to have a tough police job.
A bunch of bullies who have the blessing of the D. A. to treat the citizens of this community how ever they want…