San Rafael, CA – On Sunday, July 24, 2022, an investigation into who distributed antisemitic flyers in San Rafael was started after police were called to the city’s West End neighborhood in the downtown. 

Just after 6:45 PM, the San Rafael Police Department received information that an unknown person(s) distributed antisemitic flyers to driveways of homes in several West End neighborhoods.

It appeared the flyers were distributed in enclosed plastic bags.  The flyers did not make any specific threats to harm anyone or to target a specific location but instead made statements to cast aspersions on the Jewish community and spread antisemitic myths and conspiracy theories.  These matched similar flyers that have been found throughout the nation.

SRPD recognizes that flyers of this nature are concerning to the community and can cause fear of harm.  The department treats these incidents seriously and is actively investigating this case to determine if it is a hate crime.  Detectives are working to track down and review residential video footage, which may lead to the identity of the person(s) responsible.

The City of San Rafael is a community that welcomes diversity and does not tolerate hatred or bigotry of any kind and will stand by all of its residents to support them against hatred and bigotry. The San Rafael City Council passed a resolution earlier this year to support Jewish American Heritage and stated, “The City of San Rafael shares the obligation to condemn and combat anti-Semitism and hatred wherever they exist.” 

The San Rafael City Council also supports Assembly Bill 2282, which would strengthen law enforcement's tools when dealing with acts of hate.

Vice-Mayor Rachel Kertz said, “We’ve seen rising incidents of hate speech and hate crimes across our nation, directed at Jews as well as other minority groups. We know that such attacks come from a place of fear, of ignorance, and weakness. As a proud member of the Jewish community, I will stand united to demonstrate the strength of our collective resolve in favor of common decency, and against hate of any kind.”

The San Rafael Police Department is coordinating with its Marin County law enforcement partners, who will work together using its available collective resources to investigate similar incidents and collaborate with the District Attorney’s Office to ensure appropriate action is taken.

Hate crimes occurring within the City of San Rafael can be reported directly to the police department at 415-485-3000 or its webpage at https://srpd.org/online-report#online_report.  The Marin District Attorney’s Office has a webpage at https://www.marincountyda.org/hate-crime devoted to marking the differences between a hate crime and a hate incident.  The District Attorney's Office also has a Hate Crime Hotline, (415) 473-2585, which is monitored daily and has information in Spanish and English.