(BCN) -- The San Jose Police Department is redrawing its patrol districts and divisions for the first time in more than 25 years. The department is moving from 16 patrol districts to 12, "a structure that better matches current staffing levels and allows for stronger, more consistent coverage cityw ide," police said. The remapping will send the closest available officers to emergencies, reflecting changes in population growth, development patterns and calls for service, according to police. "The existing patrol map no longer reflects operational reality," SJPD said. "This redistricting is designed to fix that." Officials said the plan will balance workload and calls for service more evenly across the city, strengthen supervision and improve radio communication, while preserving established neighborhoods and community relationships. "District-wide dispatching will replace beat-based dispatching, allowing dispatchers to send the closest available units to emergencies and lower priority calls instead of holding calls for a specific beat officer," police said. The new district boundaries were designed using natural features, major roadways, and historical community lines, according to police. Copyright © 2026 Bay City News, Inc. ...read more read less