On October 23, 2023, the City Council appointed 9 people to serve on the San Rafael Police Accountability and Advisory Committee (PAAC). Their first meeting will be held on December 20th at 6:00 p.m., at City Hall and you can learn more about the Committee on the PAAC website, but for now we would like to introduce you to the wonderful community members of San Rafael who were selected out of 34 applicants to serve on the PAAC:
Fatai Tokolahi has lived in San Rafael for nearly 15 years. He leads the homeless outreach team at Community Action Marin, serves on the Marin Interfaith Council’s Board of Directors as the representative of the Baha’i Faith community of Marin, and serves as an advisor to the Homeless Street Chaplaincy. Fatai has hosted a National Night Out event in his neighborhood, slept in an emergency weather shelter to experience a night in the shoes of his clients, cleaned up San Rafael parks with his faith community, and removed fire-prone plants on several Family Volunteer Days in San Rafael. Fatai is also a father, a spouse, a pretty good cook, and an avid rugby player. He has always wanted to get involved, participate, and contribute in various ways to his community, the City with A Mission. He is willing and committed to bring anything to the table, with consultation and learn from other’s opinions, values, and experiences, all in the betterment of San Rafael.
Marilyn Alvarez was born and raised in San Rafael and is currently a junior in high school. She believes that the Police Accountability and Advisory Committee (PAAC) will allow the police department to have a better understanding of the community’s needs and focus on the areas in need of improvement. It will allow the community of San Rafael to voice out and have a better connection with the San Rafael Police Department. She acknowledges that younger generations’ input and opinions should be heard by the Police Department and the community of San Rafael. Excited to be a part of PAAC, she is motivated to see the community have a better connection with the police department and is excited to help younger generations, Hispanics, and the community of San Rafael.
Darlin Ruiz originate from Mexico and come from the city of Oaxaca. She came to the U.S in February 2002, and has lived in the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael. She is a Christian Baptist, and was invited to participate in a community group as a volunteer in 2010, and loved the noble task of helping her community. The dedication of the people that help her neighborhood has been an inspiration for her because they do it with much love and gratitude. She has engaged her community through door-to-door outreach and having her neighbors submit surveys. She does this so her neighbors have a place to come together and express their challenges and the needs the community face.
Daryoush Davidi earned his Ph.D with an emphasis in MultiCultural Community Clinical Psychology (MCCP) and completed his fellowship at inpatient Psych hospital with 51/50 and homeless demographic. He transitioned from a career in psychology and started his own company in 2007, which is now located in the Canal neighborhood. He serves as a Member of the Board of Directors: San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, San Rafael Peacock Gap Homeowner Association: Event planning and Community building. Member of Board of Directors, Kol Shofar Synagogue: Membership / Executive Committee. Recent Graduate of San Rafael Leadership Institute.
Daryoush immigrated to the USA at the age of 13 and has been a continuous resident of California for over 35 years. He believes San Rafael has so much potential and is passionate about building communities and bringing diverse groups of people closer together. He is invested in building trust, creating transparency and ownership.
Karla Valdez immigrated to the United States seventeen years ago along with her husband and her two children and has lived in the Canal area ever since. Karla began helping her community two years after she immigrated to the United States because she knew it was important to give back.
Karla realized the importance and impact of helping her community and hopes that with the Police Accountability and Advisory Committee she can help to create a safe space for everyone in San Rafael.
Paula Kamena: Even before she became the first woman elected District Attorney in the history of Marin County and the Bay Area, Paula Freschi Kamena demonstrated her desire to make a difference and has taken countless steps to implement results. As a successful prosecutor, Paula made sure that the bad guys were successfully prosecuted but also that those who needed treatment received it. By stressing prevention and protection, she shattered the old way of doing things and created a new template for the County. She co-founded the Jeannette Prandi Children’s Center, Adult and Juvenile Drug Court, Mental Health Court, the Sexual Assault Response Team and many other innovative programs to better deal with victims and offenders.
Paula is honored to be accepted as a member of the PAAC, hoping to serve the community by helping build a bridge of transparency and trust between our residents, our officers and our council.
Salamah Locks is a 40+ years resident of San Rafael, a health professional, and the mother of four professionally successful children who all graduated from Terra Linda High School. She was a helicopter and aircraft carrier VIP escort for Dr. Ivan Getting, a principal in the development of the GPS. She practices and instructs others in critical thinking, and cultural awareness.
Salamah is the former Chair of the Marin County Commission on Aging and a lifelong activist against ageism, racism, sexism, classism, and ableism. She values justice and would like to make a positive change in how our San Rafael Police Department interacts with and provides safety and service in our communities.
Daniel Alm is honored to be appointed to the Police Accountability and Advisory Committee (PAAC). As a twenty-year renter resident and a member of the LGBTQ community, he is committed to elevating that coalition of San Rafael residents. It is his hope to cultivate a resident PAAC that has a collaborative, productive and actionable relationship with the city council and San Rafael Police Department, that will be a model for other communities to emulate in the future.
Mydung Nguyen was born in Saigon, Vietnam and moved to the United States in 1992. She has a BS from Cal State East Bay and volunteers with the Marin County Health and Human Services Department when she isn’t working. Mydung is involved with the local Vietnamese community and participates in many religious and cultural activities that are offered.
Mydung is honored to serve on the Police Accountability and Advisory Committee. She looks forward to meeting the challenges San Rafael faces in order to create a more harmonious environment, and working to develop concrete outreach and education to produce positive outcomes for the youth of San Rafael. Drawing on her own life experience, she hopes to help people integrate into society to live happier and more productive life.
We couldn’t be more thankful for their willingness to serve their community!