Help Us Prevent Gang Activity in Our Community
 With the news that San Jose saw a decrease in gang violence during 2009, Mayor Reed credited positive community involvement for helping keep our city safe.
In particular, parents and other family members can play a key role in neighborhod safety by monitoring their children for signs of gang activity, like:
- Wearing clothes - including hair bands & shoelaces - of a specific color all the time (i.e. blue or red) particularly if their friends also wear the same colors
- Changes in behavior, particularly activities like fighting, theft, possession of weapons, and drug abuse
- Changes in friends and how they converse with them (i.e. using slang terminology or derogatory phrases)
- Listening to music with offensive, derogatory or violent lyrics
- Covering books, binders, backpacks and clothes with certain symbols, monikers, letters or numbers (i.e. XIII, XIV, BLOOD, CRIP, NORTE, and SUR)
- Poor academic performance
Attentive parents can help steer their children away from violence and reduce the number of gang members on the street. And because gangs recruit new members by offering them group identity and social status that they might not find at home or in school, it's critical for parents to remain engaged.
Other helpful phone numbers:
Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force: (408) 277-2741
The SJPD Crime Prevention Unit: (408) 277-4133
To anonymously report gang activity or violent crimes, call (408) 293-GANG (4264)
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2009 Biennial Ethics Review Proposals Move Forward
On December 15, the City Council voted to proceed with Mayor Reed's latest effort to bring more open and honest government to San Jose. The proposals were the result of the Mayor's Biennial Ethics Review, during which Mayor Reed convened a panel of local experts and invited input from local residents.
The City Council voted to implement a majority of the proposals immediately, including those that 1) avoid policy by surprise at committee meetings; 2) require that decision-making bodies meet in public at City Hall; and 3) prevent the Election Commission's anonymous complaints process from being exploited for political purposes.
The Elections Commission was also directed to consider proposals that seek to further curb conflicts of interest and close lobbyist loopholes, and the City Attorney will be conducting an analysis about opening arbitration hearings to the public.
To read the entire text of Mayor Reed's recommendations, click here.
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Is Someone You Know In Danger of Foreclosure?
 Over the past three years, the number of local foreclosures has risen by about 700%. In response to this crisis, the City of San Jose established the One-Stop ForeclosureHelp Center to provide free services to homeowners who have lost or are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure.
"Foreclosures do not just affect individual homeowners; they have a significant impact on neighbors and the surrounding community," said Mayor Reed. "I encourage people to seek help before they find themselves in a foreclosure situation."
If you've missed a mortgage payment, the most important thing you can do is call for help. Ignoring your situation won't make it go away, and there are a number of options that may be available if you seek assistance early. These options include:
- Forbearance, which delayspayments with the understanding that another option will be used to bring payments current in the future;
- Reinstatement, in which you promise a lump sum by a certain date to bring payments current;
- Repayment Plans that lets you catch up on payments by adding to future monthly payments;
- Modifying your mortgage and extending the length of your loan; and
- Arranging a Property Give-Back where your lender agrees to forgive your debt.
For more foreclosure tips, call the ForeclosureHelp Center hotline at (408) 794-1242, or visit http://www.foreclosurehelpscc.org. The Center also has useful information on lending scams and how to avoid mortgage problems in the first place. You can also view the Foreclosure Help Pocket Guide for more helpful resources in the area.
BREAKING NEWS! The City of San Jose has just received $25 million in federal stimulus funds to help address neighborhoods affected by foreclosure. This funding will help assist homebuyers seeking to purchase foreclosed or abandoned homes in areas that have been hardest hit by the current crisis.
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Help Aid the Rescue Effort in Haiti
Visit the White House's new Haiti Relief webpage for up-to-date information, including the best ways to donate and how to learn about loved ones in Haiti.
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Join Us on Feb. 18 for San Jose's 2010 Community Breakfast
RSVP by 2/5 to attend
Mayor Reed's State
of the City Address.
Learn more |
Serve on a San Jose Board or Commission
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A Busy Month for San Jose Public Library
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"A Roadmap to Energy Equilibrium"
Check out this upcoming Going Evergreen forum on Grid Neutrality and Net Zero Buildings. Learn more
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