Violent Crime Spikes in San Jose:  Robert Salonga of the San Jose Mercury News reports that the Bay Area's largest city was on track for a 7% increase in violent crime for 2017.  This follows a 14% jump in 2016.  While the mayor of San Jose still considers the city one of the safest in the nation, he admits the trend is causing concern.  The story notes that the Bay Area cities of Hayward, Fremont, Oakland, and Palo Alto also suffered two-year increases in violent crime.  It should be noted that San Jose was among the first cities in the state to fully adopt policies encouraged by AB109, offering split sentences, home confinement, and rehabilitation programs rather than jail time for theft and drug offenders.