From: Heidi Merchen
Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2025 6:26 PM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: Public Comment 9/15 City Council Meeting: Concerns Regarding Transparency, Accountability, and the Role of SRPD in Police Advisory and Accountability Committee (PAAC) Dear Mayor Kate and Members of the San Rafael City
Council,
I am writing to express significant concerns regarding the Police Advisory and Accountability Committee (PAAC) and its functioning, particularly in relation to the role of the PD providing the primary staff liaison and the recent
developments in both the PAAC's operations and the
SRPD’s approach to the committee.
1. Concerns Regarding PD Staffing and Influencing
PAAC:
Lt. Eberle, as the main staff person for the PAAC, seems to be exerting undue control over the committee’s work.
He has been observed controlling meeting agendas and
suggesting that discussions should occur “offline” when he does not agree with the direction of conversations. Also concerning is the way recommendations are handled. It
appears that recommendations are only brought to the
City Council when they align with SRPD’s interests.
• Example 1: Drones as First Responders (DFR):
After the PAAC voted in favor of recommending the
use of drones as first responders, this
recommendation was quickly presented to the City
Council to support their intention to purchase.
• Example 2: RIPA Recommendations: In contrast,
after the PAAC voted to adopt MVFREE’s Racial and
Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) recommendations, there
was no reporting of this to the City Council. When I
inquired about the status, I was told the
recommendations were “under review.” Subsequently,
an ad hoc committee was formed outside of a public
meeting to consider these recommendations, but no
updates or transparency have been provided to the
community or to the full PAAC on this review.
The lack of transparency and community input in these
processes undermines the PAAC’s ability to function as a genuine oversight body. The selective presentation of
recommendations to the Council further reduces trust and raises concerns that SRPD is effectively “policing” the PAAC, rather than the committee driving the work of
accountability.
2. The August Staff Report on Police Culture:
I must also express serious concerns about the staff report on police culture presented at the August meeting. While the report outlined aspirational values, it failed to provide any meaningful data or insight into how those values are being implemented, measured, or how they align with the experiences of SRPD staff or the community. Culture is
not defined by what’s written on paper; it’s reflected in the behavior and accountability of the department, particularly its leadership.
Without any data on how SRPD staff perceive their
internal culture or how the community experiences it, we are left with an abstract document that does not help in assessing or improving police culture. I ask: How can we effectively assess or improve police culture if we
aren’t even measuring it?
3. Concerns About the Choice of Presenters and
Conflict of Interest:
I was deeply concerned by the choice of presenters for
this topic. Having Sgt. Mathis, president of the Police Officers Association, speak on behalf of SRPD in the
context of police culture raises serious trust issues. Sgt.
Mathis was seen at the preliminary hearing for Brandon
Nail and Daisy Mazariegos following the brutal beating of Julio Jimenez Lopez. His vocal support for the officers involved in this incident undermines the message of
accountability and trust that the community rightfully
expects from the department.
Additionally, the agenda indicated that both a consultant and Sgt. Mathis would present, but only a staff report was provided. When I inquired about the consultant’s
presentation, I was told it would be posted later. Sgt. Matis essentially provided a PSA for the Police Union and Beth Dansie from the Public Safety Counseling Group provided a presentation on services offered and shared her
impression that while accepting almost a quarter of a
million from the city, she is confident that all the officers are all doing a fine job. I expect you understand the
community's perception of conflict of interest here.This lack of transparency further contributes to the lack of trust and accountability.
4. Request for a More Transparent and CommunityCentered Process:
The actions outlined above are not what community
members expected when we asked for a serious, honest
examination of SRPD culture and a committee that could
provide meaningful input. We were promised a process
grounded in real community engagement, not one that
checks boxes and presents reports without collaboration or the inclusion of impacted voices. Please see attached public comments made available at the August PAAC
Meeting.
Therefore, I respectfully request that this matter be
brought back for further discussion at a future meeting so that the issues I’ve outlined can be addressed properly. If staff claims that the annual schedule is already set, I urge you to use your authority to ensure that this important issue is given the attention it deserves. While the
committee members asked to bring this topic back, we
heard at the public meeting that the topics for future
meetings could not be changed, and it could be revisited next year! I was part of a group of residents that met with the Chief, Mayor, City Manager, and Council member to
discuss the formation of this committee. Police culture and further reporting on and investigating came up at each one of those meetings. I have since heard that the
September meeting was cancelled by staff and the chair
with no feedback from the other PAAC members. Seems
like the perfect opportunity to bring this topic back in the way it was intended.
The community is counting on you to ensure transparency, accountability, and meaningful change. I ask that you
demand more than theoretical reports and prioritize datadriven decisions that reflect the lived experiences of those most impacted by policing in San Rafael.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response and to a continued dialogue on how we
can work together to improve transparency and
accountability in our police department.
Heidi Merchen
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