58 South Bay Accent people. “Whether you’re talking to Sam like I have the opportunity to, as a friend and colleague, or as a resident or as a city employee, he has a real ability to connect with people at their own level,” he says. MOVING FORWARD In response to public safety concerns, Liccardo and his colleagues were working on a negotiating framework to take to the police and firefighters unions. This would involve reducing demands for cost savings and committing to additional revenues for the unions. “In exchange, obviously we need the union to come to the table in litigation and other battles so we can begin restoring our police departments and other key personnel,” the mayor explains. Liccardo adds that San Jose actually has one of the lowest violent crime rates of any major city. “The good news is that the officers staying on board have been doing a great job. We’ve seen crime rates drop now for a couple of years, and homicides are now at their lowest rate in half a decade. All that is positive.” On the other hand, “The bad news is that we still see spikes in burglaries and property crime, and we still need to do more on violent crimes because one homicide is one homicide too many.” (Note: Liccardo made his comments just before veteran San Jose police Officer Michael Johnson was shot and do what he could to make San Jose safer. Pete Constant, a former San Jose police officer, served on the City Council with Liccardo for eight years and in that time had many spirited debates with him, both publicly and privately, on policy issues. Still, when looking for a senior policy adviser, Liccardo chose Constant. Constant says that, even amidst the heated debates on the issues, he and Liccardo could usually come to a good resolution. “Either one of us was able to see the other person’s point of view or come to a respectful disagreement and still work together in moving things forward,” says Constant. “That’s not always the case with elected officials. When egos get in the way, you can’t disagree with them without there being a disagreeable reaction. That’s never been the case with Sam and me.” Constant also describes Liccardo as a very genuine person able to easily communicate with many different types of For those seeking more detailed information about San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo’s ideas for leading the city, his book “Safer City, Smarter Government: A Plan for San José’s Future” is available as a free download from his website, www.samliccardo.com. The publication addresses public safety and budget issues, along with other highlights such as these: • Broadening opportunities for children, including seeking ways to address socio-economic gaps, promoting safer environments and supporting libraries, sports fields, youth initiatives and afterschool programs. • Harnessing the talents and expertise of San Jose’s senior population by launching a cost-ef- BLUEPRINT FOR A CITY fective Civic Leadership Fellowship program to boost retiree volunteerism; also expanding public transportation options and protecting against elder abuse. • Ensuring a sustainable water supply using a creative approach for replenishing underground aquifers with highly purified, recycled water; following smart growth policies and engaging youth in such nonprofits as the Conservation Corps. • Defining the city’s role in Silicon Valley by attracting and retaining a highly skilled workforce, “growing” local talent and revitalizing urban areas while creating a vibrant, pedestrian friendly downtown. killed while responding to a call about an armed, suicidal gunman. According to reports, the shooting was the first killing of a San Jose police officer in 14 years and was described by Liccardo as “the city’s darkest hour.”) Liccardo and partners have been taking a number of steps to reduce crime in the city, such as: • Creating a registry of home security cameras citywide so police know where the cameras are when investigating a burglary or other crime in a neighborhood. • Improving city lighting by partnering with businesses to find ways to replace 60,000 street lights with new, brighter LED lamps that will also save energy and money. • Focusing more energy on youth issues, such as lowering truancy, expanding job opportunities for at-risk teens and expanding after school learning programs “We’re seeing that in areas where burglary rates have spiked, over half the arrestees are juveniles,” Liccardo explains. “These burglaries are happening overwhelmingly in the daytime. We’ve seen in the past that when we increase truancy enforcement and get students’ butts in the seats, we have a drop in property crime.” Liccardo also worked with business partners and organizations like the Silicon Valley Leadership Group to launch the 1000 Hearts for 1000 Minds program, aimed at inspiring company employees to commit to tutoring kids one on one through established programs. “The literature tells us very clearly that a single hour in a week spent with a child, one on one, can have a huge impact on reading scores and performance on math tests and, most importantly, on the self-esteem of Liccardo is a strong advocate for youth and education across the city. (continued on pg. 96) COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF MAYOR SAM LICCARDO (2)
South Bay Accent - Jun/Jul 2015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above