San Jose’s mayor on Thursday unveiled a new plan to combat illegal sideshows in the Bay Area’s largest city: tackling social media usage. Robert Handa reports.
San Jose's mayor on Thursday unveiled a new plan to combat illegal sideshows in the Bay Area's largest city.
During a news conference Thursday, Mayor Matt Mahan alongside San Jose police Chief Tony Mata provided details about the new approach, mainly aiming to leverage for stricter moderation on social media platforms where the events are promoted.
Mahan sent a letter to social media platforms such as Meta, Snapchat and TikTok, asking them to convene a meeting to discuss stricter penalties for users who post content related to sideshows.
"It will take all of us, public and private, to keep our city safe," Mahan said during the news conference.
San Jose in recent years has taken a hardline stance against illegal sideshows, cracking down on the promotion of and participation in the events, an effort that started as far back as 2019.
The sideshows, however, have become increasingly dangerous in recent months, officials say, with spectators and innocent bystanders suffering critical injuries or death; drugs and illegal firearms becoming more prominent; and responding officers being put at risk, including one incident where a police helicopter faced gunfire.
"Sideshows are dangerous ... to the participants, to the spectators, to the community," Mata said. "Just this year, we've responded to 184 sideshow events. Last year, we responded to more than 200. ... We've seen an increase in violence these sideshows have brought to the city."
Mahan said Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other social media he contacted have agreed to meet with him and other city officials, and he added he hopes that meeting will take place sometime next month.
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