From: Heidi Merchen
Sent: Monday, March 2, 2026 10:31 AM
To: Distrib- City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: Request to remove from consent: g. 2025 Police Advisory & Accountability Committee Annual Report
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am writing to ask that the PAAC Annual Report be pulled from the consent calendar and brought forward for discussion.
When the Police Advisory and Accountability Committee was created, it was established with a clear purpose: to review data, identify trends, and make recommendations to the City Council that support transparency, accountability, and community trust. As PAAC enters its third year, it is important to recognize that the committee has not yet had the opportunity to carry out this core responsibility. Despite the time and commitment of its members, PAAC has never been invited to present findings, offer recommendations, or engage directly with the Council.
There is also a concern about the accuracy of the RIPA
information included in the report. The data currently presented does not reflect the most recent and corrected information provided by MVFREE. Since RIPA data is central to understanding community impact and policing trends, it is important that the report reflect the updated and accurate version. I respectfully request that the outdated RIPA section be replaced with MVFREE’s corrected information before the report is accepted.
Approving the annual report on consent unintentionally minimizes the purpose of the committee and the work that has gone into it.
The report should be a chance for the Council to revisit why PAAC was created, hear directly about the committee’s work and challenges, and clarify how the Council intends to receive and act on PAAC’s recommendations going forward.
Pulling the report from consent would demonstrate a commitment to transparency, meaningful engagement, and the original intent behind establishing PAAC. It would also give the committee the opportunity it has not yet had: to speak directly with the Council about its observations and the support it needs to be effective.
Thank you for considering this request and for your continued service to the community.
Sincerely,
Heidi
Heidi
she/her/hers (why this matters)
“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” -Angela Davis