Sonoma County Lowrider Council - Cultural Enrichment

Nominated by

Danielle Garduno

Presented by

Tom Schwedhelm, City Council Member

About

In August 2020, members from the Sonoma County Lowrider Council, staff from the Office of Community Engagement, former Police Chief Ray Navarro, and former Mayor Tom Schwedhelm, met to discuss how to foster a better relationship between the Santa Rosa Police Department and the greater community. During these listening sessions, the idea of a lowrider patrol car came to be. Over the next eight months, six local car clubs from the Sonoma County Lowrider Council worked tirelessly to transform a retired 2011 Ford Crown Victoria police interceptor into the Marylou Lowrider Patrol Car, unveiled to the Santa Rosa community in March of 2022.

The Marylou is a symbol of collaboration and teamwork and is used for engagement and educational purposes within the community. In addition, the car commemorates the sacrifices and the lives lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic with its dedication to Marylou Armer, a former Santa Rosa Police Department detective who became the first officer in California to die from complications of COVID-19. A mural of her and her badge number, 442, adorns the vehicle.

The Marylou Lowrider Patrol Car continues to attend community events and parades throughout Santa Rosa. The Lowrider Council continues to work with City staff to educate the public on lowriding as a form of healing and violence prevention and to promote the importance of trauma-informed care by channeling energy in a transformative and expressive way that provides a support network.

Thank you, Sonoma County Lowriders Council, for the months of hard work, commitment, and dedication to creating the Marylou. We are honored to present you with a 2022 Santa Rosa Merit Award.