Long Story Short...

Here’s what you need to know this week — in 30 seconds or less:

• Neighbors are feeling a shift. For the first time in 5 years, more residents say the Bay Area is on the right track than the wrong track as we get back to basics. 
• Crime has consequence. Eight smash-and-grab suspects are behind bars—and we’re not stopping until every last one is caught.
• Innovation is paying off. AI is speeding up city services, new dashboards put results in plain sight, and clean energy is powering transit.

Keep scrolling for all the data and details.

Dear Neighbor,

Each year, the Bay Area News Group and Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a local think tank, ask a simple question packed with layers of meaning: Is the Bay Area headed in the right direction? 

And for the first time in the last five years, more people said we’re on the right track than the wrong track. And I agree.

When I took office in 2023, over 70% of people thought the Bay Area was circling the drain. We couldn’t seem to get things right post-pandemic and some of our past policy decisions were starting to come back to bite us. People didn’t feel their government was working for them.

So what has changed? 

Here in San José, we’ve gotten back to basics. We’ve built nearly 2,000 shelter units, thus far reducing unsheltered homelessness by over 20%, and we’ve started enforcing quality of life crime more consistently. We’ve focused on recruitment and retention in our police department and embraced new crime-fighting tools. We’ve brought technology into many of our departments, using AI to speed up everything from buses to federal grant writing. We’ve reduced fees and timelines for housing permits, which has put more shovels in the ground this year. We’ve also asked all of you to get involved: in fact, thousands of you have joined us on weekends to build community while we clean up our streets, beautify our neighborhoods, and restore our public spaces for everyone to enjoy. 

We also worked with our City Council to consolidate nearly 50 priorities to just 5 focus areas: increasing community safety, ending unsheltered homelessness, cleaning up our neighborhoods, building more housing, and growing our economy. And because we focused on the issues that matter most to our residents, we’re starting to turn this ship around. We’re slowly but surely restoring civic pride as we use focus and transparency to hold City Hall accountable for delivering results.

But let’s be honest – we have a long way to go. These aren’t good numbers. Too many neighbors still feel we’re on the wrong track and they have a point: we still have people living in tents on our streets, crime is still too high, you can still find trash along too many roadways, and we all know our high cost of living is pushing families to the brink. 

So we won’t be resting on our laurels in San Jose. We have a lot of work ahead of us to realize our true potential: at our best, there is no other place in the world that can offer the same quality of life and economic mobility as our region. That’s a future worth fighting for.

Sincerely,

Mayor Matt

Three weeks ago, we stood outside Kim Hung Jewelry and I promised you we wouldn’t rest until there was justice.

And in recent days SJPD has made great progress. Eight people are in custody — eight suspects who brutally attacked an elderly man, destroyed a family business, and terrorized an entire community.

This was not a crime of desperation. This was organized theft and violence — the kind of smash-and-grab attack we’ve seen spreading across the Bay Area. People who think if they move fast and act in numbers, they’re untouchable. They think they’ll disappear into the crowd. They think someone else will take the fall.

Since March alone, California has seen 30 violent robberies of jewelry stores — 16 of them smash-and-grabs — with groups of 10 to 30 assailants storming in, armed with hammers and guns. It’s the crime of cowards — people who hide behind chaos and hope that speed and numbers will shield them from consequences. 

But that doesn’t fly in San José. Our police are too skilled, our detectives too relentless, and our community too connected.

Let me be clear — this is just the beginning. We know there are still people out there who took part in this attack. And we will find every single one of them. 

San José didn’t become the safest big city in the nation for no reason — we prove every time that crime has consequence because there is no better deterrent than assuring accountability. 

As our police department does their job, I’m doing mine. I will continue to advocate for common sense policy change at the state level and beyond. 

We need our Governor to focus on much-needed public safety reform like Prop 36 — so that when addiction fuels crime and funds criminal networks, we can connect addicts to treatment and dealers to prison, not just release offenders back to the streets to immediately reoffend. Our residents voted to disrupt this cycle, and it’s time for our state leaders to implement it. 

You may have seen us making some news recently for implementing AI to make government work better. Whether we’re using it to speed up permitting, speed up your commute, or speed up city workers, I believe AI has the potential to make City Hall vastly more efficient – which means we become better at solving the problems you care most about. 

As we use AI to make your life better, we want to share how you can use it safely for that same purpose. We’ll be hosting a webinar on October 22nd at 6:30pm to help residents learn what AI is, how it’s being used to improve City services, and how we’re keeping privacy a top priority. We’ll share real examples and offer tips on how you can safely and responsibly use AI technologies. Hope to see you there!

You shouldn’t have to ask how your government is doing — the data should be right at your fingertips. Now, it is. See for yourself here.

Relaunched earlier this month, what you’re seeing above is a screenshot of our latest public safety dashboard — something I’ve been working on with our Council and Administration since taking office. Our city was just ranked the safest big city in America — and that’s something we can all be proud of. But maintaining our status means keeping a close eye on the data so we know what’s working and what’s not. 

Over the next several months, we’ll be relaunching each of our five focus area dashboards including homelessness, housing, economic growth, and clean neighborhoods. Stay tuned!

Fun fact: San José Clean Energy, our own community-owned utility, helps power the Caltrain fleet with 100% renewable energy. 

For neighbors who’ve lived along transit corridors for decades with the pollution and noise of diesel trains, this is a real improvement to daily life — and a big reason San José is getting greener every year. 

And last week, we took it one step further. San José Clean Energy and Peninsula Clean Energy just approved new energy export credits for Caltrain. When these trains brake, they send power back to the grid – powering homes and businesses along their lines. 

Now, for the first time, Caltrain will be compensated for that clean electricity. Those dollars can be reinvested to keep transit affordable and improve service for riders. This kind of creative funding mechanism is all the more important as we see transit agencies face deficits across the Bay Area. 

La Muerte Baila

Until Sunday, October 19th

Mexican Heritage Plaza Theatre, 1700 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose, CA 95116

Teatro Visión invites you to their production of La Muerte Baila, Oct. 9-19 at the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Full of laughter and song, it is a heartwarming story about forgiveness, about remembrance, and about choosing how we live our lives. La Muerte Baila is performed in Spanish with English subtitles. Grab your tickets here. 

Candlelight Concerts: Queen vs. ABBA

Friday, October 17th at 6:30 PM

Hammer Theatre Center, 101 Paseo De San Antonio

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience. Discover the music of Queen vs. ABBA at the Hammer Theatre and purchase your tickets here. 

Tech or Treat

Saturday, October 25th, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

The Tech Interactive, 201 S. Market St., San Jose, California 95113

Tech or Treat is back! Join us if you dare for a day of spooky science at The Tech Interactive. This family-friendly celebration combines the thrills of Halloween with the wonders of science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). Come curious and in costume for a frightfully fun day designed for mad scientists of all ages. Find more information here. 

Disney on Ice: Frozen & Encanto 

Thursday, Oct 23rd to Sunday, October 26th

SAP Center

Get transported into the realms of Frozen and Encanto at Disney on Ice! Hosted by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, Frozen & Encanto showcases world-class ice skaters and elaborate costuming that brings two of Disney’s most beloved stories to life. Grab your tickets here. 

Santa Run Early Bird Registration

Sunday, December 14, 2025 at 3 PM

San Jose, CA 95113

Join us for the 14th Annual Santa Run Silicon Valley where you can dress up as your favorite holiday character or tradition, then make your way through San Jose for a festive afternoon celebrating the most wonderful time of the year! Sign up  today to take advantage of Early Bird Pricing. Want to save even more and double your fun? Bundle the Santa Run with the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot and you'll get a discount on both races!

There’s nothing better than change from the bottom up. @BeautifulDay, a volunteer initiative founded by Westgate church, was created to give back — and what they give us is a safer, cleaner city. While this event happens once a year, we keep up their good work year round. 

Best of luck this season, Sharks! Before Thursday’s game, I joined team owner Hasso Plattner, Councilmember Mulcahy and Councilmember Tordillos to unveil the new “Sharks Way” street signs. This team has helped put San José on the map for decades (and thanks to a new deal, will continue to do so for at least the next two). It’s about time we put them on our map — literally.

You know when people say San José is a big city with a small town feel — this is what they mean. Everyone knows each other, they know Joshua and the rest of the board, and they know that when they visit Little Italy, it’ll feel like coming home for family dinner. If you missed our 8th annual festival, make sure you come out for the 9th next year!