San Jose police will respond faster starting Sunday with the first redesign of patrol districts and divisions in more than 25 years, officials predict.

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 citywide,” police said in press release.

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,” police 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.

This image displays two maps comparing the old and new district boundaries in a region, with color-coded divisions labeled Central, Foothill, Southern, and Western.
A comparison map released by the San Jose Police Department shows the old patrol districts, left, and the new patrol districts, right. SJPD announced its first comprehensive patrol redistricting in more than 25 years, reducing the number of patrol districts from 16 to 12 to improve officer deployment with current staffing levels, population growth and calls for service. (San Jose Police Department via Bay City News)

“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, police said.