The San Jose City Council’s Rules Committee has indefinitely deferred a proposal to revive the mounted police unit downtown, which involved accepting a $390,000 donation to purchase horses and cover startup costs. The deferral was driven by budget uncertainties, including ongoing federal funding cuts and concerns about the unit’s ongoing $120,000 annual upkeep costs. The San Jose Police Officers’ Association strongly opposed the plan, particularly the idea of staffing the unit through voluntary overtime, arguing the union was not consulted and that overtime resources should be prioritized elsewhere amid contentious contract negotiations.

The police department defended the proposal as a cost-neutral reallocation of existing funds and highlighted the mounted unit’s benefits for community policing, crime deterrence, and event crowd control. However, recent overtime restrictions have already strained investigative units, forcing detectives to triage cases more heavily and limiting patrol officers’ opportunities to gain investigative experience. The department stated these overtime changes are temporary and will be reviewed based on operational needs, with a goal to eventually restore specialized overtime assignments. Meanwhile, the mounted unit plan remains on hold but not abandoned.