TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Mayor Mahan Councilmember Campos
Councilmember Cohen
Councilmember Candelas
SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: April 24, 2026
Approved Date: 4/24/2026
SUBJECT: Police Staffing, Expenditures, and Workload Audit Report
RECOMMENDATION
1. Accept the report and the Administration’s response.
2. Direct the City Manager to include the following information in future reports to the Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee (PSFSS) and to the City Council:
a. Updated response time metrics after implementation of audit recommendations 2(a) and 2(b);
b. A qualitative analysis of how the changes outlined in the February 27, 2026, memo1 from Chief Joseph regarding Police Department overtime spending are affecting sworn officer staffing challenges and the need for overtime, as well as how further reducing overtime costs could impact workload; c. Updated metrics on the total overtime hours as reported by assignment type, similar to Exhibit 16 of the audit report; and
d. A progress report on efforts to reduce overtime for report writing, once a report writing technology tool is put in place.
BACKGROUND
The City Auditor and his team have identified opportunities to improve existing controls, increase compliance and transparency, and clarify procedures related to Police Department staffing, expenditures, and workload. We appreciate the City Auditor’s work and recommend acceptance of the report, its findings and recommendations, and the Administration’s response.
Challenges with recruitment and retention, along with legal obligations related to staffing, contribute to overtime expenses. We recognize the collaborative spirit of Chief Joseph and the
1 March 10, 2026, City Council Agenda Item 4.2, “Police Department Overtime Spending.” https://sanjose.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1345647&GUID=80B0B36E-0C51-4E3E-AFB6- 763D3E59F283&Options=&Search=
COUNCIL AGENDA: 4/28/2026
FILE: 26-468
ITEM: 3.3
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
April 24, 2026
Subject: Police Staffing, Expenditures, and Workload Audit Report
San José Police Department in finding ways to better monitor overtime practices and look for potential savings without hiring a significant number of new staff.
While intractable staffing issues are largely responsible for overtime, our budget environment and fiduciary responsibilities to our residents require a commitment to taking every action possible to limit overtime spending on police work, such as report writing and follow-up.
According to the report, these activities are responsible for 40 percent of charged overtime. The report offers several options to address this.
We appreciate Chief Joseph’s readiness to implement these changes. We recommend that future reports to PSFSS and the City Council include updated metrics to measure the effectiveness these changes. We also recommend that the City Administration provide progress reports regarding efforts to reduce overtime and implement the audit report recommendations. Reports should include, at the discretion of the City Manager, qualitative analysis of impacts to workload and options to further reduce costs.
We thank the City Auditor’s Office, the San José Police Department, and the City Administration for their important work to reduce overtime expenses without compromising public safety.
The signers of this memorandum have not had, and will not have, any private conversation with any other member of the City Council, or that member’s staff, concerning any action discussed in the memorandum, and that each signer’s staff members have not had, and have been instructed not to have, any such conversation with any other member of the City Council or that member's staff.