San Rafael — Two outside experts told the Police Advisory Commission on Dec. 17 that legal rules narrow what personnel information the city can disclose, while community members urged the commission to press for more transparency and accountability.

Francine Kiridge, director of the Office of Police Oversight in Long Beach, told the commission that transparency is "the foundation of trust and effectiveness," and described transparency not only as public access to records but as routine sharing of policies, use‑of‑force data, complaint outcomes and training results. "Transparency is a tool that strengthens law enforcement legitimacy and effectiveness," Kiridge said, urging the commission to develop feedback loops that align community expectations with police practice.

Mark Wilson, an attorney with Burke, Williams & Sorensen, outlined the legal framework that limits personnel disclosures. He said the general rule in California is confidentiality for personnel files, but that the Right to Know law changes that regime for certain serious, sustained findings. "When there's a sustained finding — for example excessive force producing great bodily harm, sexual assault of a member of the public, bias‑based conduct or unlawful searches or arrests — those personnel records become disclosable," Wilson said. He added that agencies must report serious misconduct to POST within a short statutory window and described a reporting obligation that agencies often meet within 10 days of discovering conduct that could lead to decertification.

Wilson and the city attorney, Rob Epstein, clarified several procedural points during questions from commissioners. Epstein and Wilson said the chief or agency head typically makes the final determination on whether a complaint is "sustained" after investigation and any Skelly proceeding, and that courts or arbitrators may later alter employment outcomes but do not erase the public record of a sustained finding. Committee members pressed for practical guidance on what triggers disclosure, what is released (investigative reports, photos, audio and video if sustained) and how long the department has to act; Wilson stressed there is often a balancing test between privacy interests and the public interest in disclosure.

Members of the public urged the PAC to translate the presentations into specific steps. Tammy Edmondson, speaking for the group MV Free, denied an earlier public allegation that she had misrepresented facts and urged members to defend the PAC's May 21 equitable policing recommendations. "We would urge the PAC members to join MV Free in defending the PAC's decisions and speaking out against any such assaults on your lawful authority and your independence from law enforcement," she said.

Other commenters invoked the beating of Julio Jimenez Lopez and asked the PAC to press for clearer reporting on the status of officers involved in that case. Several speakers urged community outreach measures — including surveys and practical interventions such as vehicle‑safety clinics — to reduce pretext stops and build trust.

What happens next: Staff and commissioners said they will take public and committee feedback into account while refining the annual report and next year’s work plan. The commission scheduled follow‑up and indicated it will revisit data requests and the Annual Report draft in January.