State arbitrator reinstates San Rafael officer; community presses for transparency as PAC sets 2025 priorities

A state arbitrator overturned the termination of San Rafael Police Officer Brandon Nail on Dec. 16 and reinstated him to employment, San Rafael Police Chief Spiller told the Police Accountability Committee at a special meeting on Jan. 11.

The decision — which the city said it learned of on Dec. 21 — prompted extended public comment accusing the city and the San Rafael Police Department of withholding information. Committee members then moved on to develop and prioritize topics for the PAC’s 2025 workplan, listing transparency, police culture, youth and policing and reporting required under the Racial and Identity Profiling Act among the priorities.

Chief Spiller told the committee the arbitration ruling reversed the chief’s prior termination decision. "The arbitrator reversed that termination, reinstating officer Nail to employment with the city of San Rafael," he said, and added that the city will follow the…