The Independent Police Auditor's office put mailers inside residents' utility bills, asking them to call the office to report problem officers.
Police say it is way out of line, but the auditor contends this is part of the office's mandate.
"If you look at this and read it carefully, it's informational," independent police auditor Dolores Cordell said. "It's exactly what we're required to do by the charter."
However, Jim Unland with the San Jose Police Officer's Association argues, "This IPA and internal affairs with the police department have been around for years and years. People know how to complain against the police department if they have a complaint."
San Jose's police department has been hampered by staffing shortages and budget cuts.
