San Rafael’s City Council on Sept. 2 unanimously approved the city’s formal response to the Marin County civil grand jury report “Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us,” endorsing the council’s previously funded SAFE (Specialized Assistance For Everyone) pilot and urging a countywide funding strategy.

Police Chief Dave Spiller presented the city’s written response to the grand jury, which the grand jury had directed to San Rafael under Penal Code procedures for agency responses to civil grand jury reports. Spiller told the council the city “agrees” with several findings in the report, including that SAFE has proven an effective alternative response for many 9‑1‑1 calls involving mental health, substance use and homelessness and that SAFE’s limited hours mean some such calls still require a police response.

Spiller summarized the city position: there is demonstrable operational value to the SAFE pilot, but the program lacks permanent, dedicated funding and there are no SAFE‑type teams covering Southern Marin, West Marin or unincorporated areas—gaps the grand jury highlighted. “The SAFE team deployment continues to be successful,” Spiller said, and city staff said they would present a full overview of SAFE activity and statistics to the council in early 2026 as the pilot approaches its March 2026 expiration.

The grand jury recommended that the city, by March 1, 2026, fund additional SAFE resources if requested by the police department after evaluating the pilot; the city’s response acknowledges the recommendation and explained the city’s present practice. City staff said the department is pursuing grants and alternative funding but that “at this time there is no long‑term funding strategy” for SAFE.

Council discussion emphasized program results and funding risks. Council members praised the pilot’s impact on diverting people from hospitals or jail and noted SAFE personnel assisted at the Canal fire shelter; the council did not reverse or amend its earlier pilot funding decision. Chief Spiller provided operational figures during Q&A, saying the SAFE team handles roughly 3,000 calls per year and achieves on the order of 80–100 hospital diversions annually.

The council adopted a resolution approving the city’s response to the civil grand jury and authorized the mayor to transmit the city response to the Marin County Superior Court by the statutory deadline. The motion passed on a 5‑0 roll call.

Nut graf: San Rafael formalized and transmitted its reply to the county grand jury, affirming the effectiveness of the SAFE pilot, flagging countywide coverage and stable funding as problems, and urging a broader, countywide funding approach while city staff continue to seek grants and prepare a January 2026 pilot report to the council.

What officials said: “This recommendation should be more bridal [broad], including the City of San Rafael,” Chief Spiller said of the grand jury’s call for county funding, recommending a countywide solution that would include San Rafael in any dedicated funding plan.

Context and next steps: San Rafael funded the SAFE pilot in January 2023 using one‑time resources; the program is scheduled to expire in March 2026 unless extended. The council requested a full report and statistics on SAFE operations in early 2026 and signaled support for pursuing countywide funding strategies and grant opportunities in the interim.

Ending: The council approved the city’s written response to the grand jury on a 5‑0 vote and directed staff to continue pursuing funding and to return with a pilot performance report.