DATE: August 20, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Police Department
TITLE: ANNUAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT REPORT AND RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY'S MILITARY EQUIPMENT USE POLICY PER ASSEMBLY BILL 481
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff and the Police and Fire Commission recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution approving the Department's annual Military Equipment Use Inventory list as required by Assembly Bill (AB) 481.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On January 1, 2022, Assembly Bill 481 (Military Equipment Use Policy Bill) took effect, establishing requirements for the acquisition, funding, and use of equipment designated by the California State Assembly as "military equipment." AB 481 mandates that local agencies, including police departments, develop a Military Equipment Use Policy and inventory, obtain approval from their governing body by ordinance or resolution following a public hearing, and conduct an annual review. The City adopted Ordinance Section 25.8 to Chapter 25 on May 18, 2022, in compliance with this law.
The annual review process requires examining the policy and equipment inventory, updating as necessary, and holding a public hearing for community input before the revised or reaffirmed policy is considered for approval. The inventory must describe each piece of designated equipment by reporting its quantity, expected lifespan, manufacturer's description, authorized uses, fiscal impact (including purchase and maintenance costs), legal and procedural rules for use, required training, and compliance mechanisms. Additionally, AB 481 also requires disclosure of when and how the equipment was acquired, the funding source, and justification for its use.
The policy and inventory are to be publicly available on the Internet for 30 days prior to the City Council meeting, when this item is scheduled for a public hearing. Equipment on this list that the Department seeks to acquire after January 1, 2022, requires City Council ap...
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