By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• San Jose officials approved new controls on officer overtime after the police department spent about $71.5 million on overtime in 2025, far exceeding its budget.
• The San Jose Police Department’s adopted overtime budget was $26.6 million, and total personnel costs ran $16.5 million over budget last year.
• The city council’s plan includes stricter approval requirements and redeployment of some officers to help reduce costs.
• The San Jose Police Officers’ Association agreed to lower compensatory time caps and require use of accrued hours above certain levels.
• Officials project roughly $8 million in annual savings from the new measures beginning in 2026.
SAN JOSE, CA — San Jose city leaders have enacted new overtime controls for the San Jose Police Department after the agency spent approximately $71.5 million on overtime in 2025, far above its budgeted amount, officials said.
The department’s adopted overtime budget for the year was $26.6 million, and even after accounting for savings from vacant positions, total personnel services expenditures ran about $16.5 million over budget, according to city records.
To rein in costs, the San Jose City Council approved a plan that includes stricter overtime approval requirements for certain units and redeploys officers from non-essential duties to regular patrol and other functions, city officials said.
Part of the agreement with the San Jose Police Officers’ Association lowers the cap on compensatory time from 480 to 440 hours and requires officers with high balances to use a minimum amount of accrued time annually, officials said.
City officials estimate the new measures could reduce overtime spending by about $8 million annually, in part by adjusting district coverage and eliminating some contracted patrol units.
The changes come amid long-term trends of rising overtime costs and staffing challenges for the department, which city budget documents and audits have highlighted in recent years.