San Anselmo’s racial equity committee has called for the county’s top prosecutor to release an update on the ongoing investigation of alleged threats against Mayor Brian Colbert.

The committee met Tuesday to discuss how to ask District Attorney Lori Frugoli to speak publicly about the investigation and say whether charges will be filed. Colbert reported three threatening voicemail messages in May.

Central Marin police quickly arrested a suspect, Jerald Welty, and found several firearms during a search of his home in San Anselmo. Investigators obtained a gun violence restraining order against him.

Welty, 63, was released on bail while the district attorney’s office reviewed the case.

On Tuesday, the town’s racial equity committee unanimously approved a letter to Frugoli’s office. The letter, written by committee chair Tiffany McElroy and member Larry Organ, expressed their concern that the threats were directed at “the highest profile official in our town.”

“The failure to swiftly and publicly address and charge such crimes merely encourages and empowers this type of behavior,” the letter said. It also cited another incident late last month, when an anti-Semitic message was left on the scoreboard at Memorial Park.

Colbert said Wednesday that he does not intend to question the due process of law or how the investigation is conducted, but he said the community has a right to have regular updates about the case.

“It’s been some time since the incident, I understand there’s a process they follow,” he said. “But I and other members of the community are puzzled by the lack of consistent updates and communication from the DA’s office. I would personally like a date where the district attorney is simply going to provide a decision.”

Colbert spoke at Memorial Park last week during a community gathering in response to the anti-Semitic message on the scoreboard. He called it a “heinous act” and reminded those present there have been three hate speech incidents in 10 months in the Ross Valley.

“And I hope that people don’t think these events are tolerated here or can be done without repercussion,” Colbert said.

“These acts are not welcome in San Anselmo, Ross Valley or elsewhere in Marin,” Colbert said. “We have to make sure people are aware these events are happening and focus on our community values: inclusion, empathy and being supportive of one another.”

Councilmember Steve Burdo, who is on the racial equity committee, said he confronted Frugoli at an event in May to ask why weeks had passed without an update.

“I think at the time everyone was a little shocked that no charges had been filed,” Burdo said, adding he was “upset at the level of responsiveness from the DA’s office.”

“Our police department handled the investigation as you would want a police department to,” he said. “The question became, what’s the DA going to do?”

“We deserve a update,” he said. “I was simply asking what’s the update, because you know you have all the evidence. You’re either going to charge or not charge. That was over two months ago.”

On Friday, Frugoli said the investigation is still active and she expects to provide a public update by the end of the month.

“We take these cases seriously,” she said. “This case is not closed. The investigation is continuing and a final determination has yet to be made by my office.”

According to the California Department of Justice, hate “incidents” such as name-calling or insults are constitutionally protected free speech.

“If a hate incident starts to threaten a person or property, it may become a hate crime,” the department says on its website. “A hate crime is a crime against a person, group or property motivated by the victim’s real or perceived protected social group.”

State law defines a felony criminal threat as “so unequivocal, unconditional, immediate and specific as to convey to the person threatened, a gravity of purpose and an immediate prospect of execution of the threat.”

Welty could not be reached for comment Friday.