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San Rafael accepts first Police Advisory & Accountability Committee annual report
Summary
Council received and accepted the Police Advisory & Accountability Committee's first annual report, highlighting ride-alongs, oral-board participation, training on internal affairs and recruitment, and next-year topics including youth and policing, drones, and RIPA; council voted 5-0 to accept the report.
San Rafael —— The City Council unanimously accepted the Police Advisory & Accountability Committee's (PAAC) first annual report on Feb. 18, applauding the committee's first-year education-focused approach and participation in hiring and oversight activities.
Lieutenant Scott Eberly presented the report, summarizing the committee's learning agenda over the first year: orientation to the Brown Act and bylaws, briefings on internal affairs and complaint processes, training on use-of-force and de-escalation, and ride-alongs to understand on-street policing. Eberly said the committee recommended that PAC members participate in oral boards for new hires; the department has since included PAC members on oral boards.
The report documented workforce and training highlights: San Rafael Police Department has hired 24 sworn officers over two years, including eight Latinx officers and seven women; the department aims for 30% female sworn representation by 2030 and was at 25% at the time of reporting. The committee also studied a range of issues (youth and policing, homelessness, technology including automatic license-plate readers and drones, and military equipment) and opted to capture diverse viewpoints rather than force a single consensus on contested topics (for example, varying views on school resource officers).
Former PAC chair Paula Camina described ride-along experiences that emphasized officer empathy and the daily operational challenges officers face. Public commenters and councilmembers praised the committee's initial work and recommended continued community outreach and clarity on complaint referral pathways.
Outcome: Councilmember Yorent Sculati moved to accept the annual report and the council voted 5-0 to accept it. Council requested continued updates and scheduled follow-ups on specific topics (drones, youth engagement and technology) in 2025.
