New court order targets drug dealers at troubled San Jose park

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — For years, the City of San Jose says St. James Park has been the hub of unhoused people, crime and drug dealing. Now city leaders are telling drug dealers in the area to stay out or get arrested.

Ricardo and Jovana Mendez come to St. James Park at least once a week to hand out food to dozens of unhoused people.

The park is considered one of the epicenters of homelessness in downtown San Jose. The city says it’s been this way for years, adding the drug issue there is becoming rampant.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan hopes the buck stops with him. That approach is a new court order by the city that targets around eight specific drug dealers who have already been in the justice system. The order adds if they’re seen within 100 yards of St. James Park that they will be arrested.

Homeless advocates who do work in St. James and unhoused people there say they support getting rid of the drug dealers who operate in this area. They say they don’t want to clear out the park entirely, seeing they get a lot of resources and food here.

Homeless advocate Todd Langton says Mayor Mahan should also target drug dealers around the city, not just those targeting unhoused people — adding it will only lead to more unhoused people displaced without anywhere to go.

Watch the full report from KRON4’s Jack Molmud in the video player above.