San Rafael advisory committee and community press for broader police culture assessment after wellness-focused report

Chair Tokalahi opened the San Rafael Police Accountability Committee meeting Oct. 15 to review staff and consultant materials that followed an August presentation on police culture.

The materials presented to the committee focused largely on officer wellness programs and services. Several public commenters and committee members said the report did not address the cultural and community‑facing problems they expected to see assessed, including how officers interact with people in neighborhoods and how the public perceives department behavior.

The issue mattered because many speakers linked culture to public trust and safety. "We need a full discussion with experts that you choose to come and talk about police culture," said Steve Bingham, a Terra Linda resident who urged the committee to probe how officers and their peers respond when wrongdoing occurs. Heidi Merchant, a community member, criticized the consultant report’s focus on services for officers and asked: "What are the key performance measures of doing a fine job? How do people feel about working for the department? What kind of cultural assessment has been done?"

Staff framed the report as a follow‑up to the August presentation and noted materials from Beth Dancy of Public Safety Counseling Group and Sergeant Mike Mathis were included in the packet. Lieutenant Eberly explained the item was being brought back for committee feedback and that departments had provided the data and materials attached to the staff report.

Multiple public commenters asked for clearer metrics and follow‑up. One commenter referenced the 2025 acquittal and community concern about the case of Brandon Nail and the beating of Julio Jimenez Lopez; those examples were invoked by speakers who said the report did not address the community’s experiences of policing in neighborhoods.

Committee members recommended next steps focused on specificity and measurement. Member Alm and others asked for employee engagement data or confidential staff surveys to assess internal culture. Member Locks and Vice Chair Davitti urged staff to provide the raw data and statistics that underpin the presentation when it is returned so committee members can analyze it in detail.

Staff and the chair proposed returning the topic as part of the PAC’s 2026 work plan so members, community groups and staff could refine what "culture" means for the committee and request targeted presentations or outside experts. City Manager Kristina Lobich (attending for Assistant City Manager Pinon Robinson) and staff said the committee could identify the precise cultural issues and performance measures they want addressed before staff schedules a deeper follow‑up.

No formal vote or policy change occurred at the meeting. The committee received the report, invited further public and committee input, and directed staff to return with a more focused proposal for the 2026 PAC work plan that outlines requested metrics, possible external experts, and any data the committee wants collected.

The committee plans to discuss the work‑plan item and potential speakers in the January 2026 workshop; staff asked members to consult community stakeholders and bring specific topics to that session.