AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: September 9, 2025
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Mark G. Stainbrook, Chief of Police
Subject: APPROVAL OF A PURCHASE ORDER TO SIONICS WEAPON
SYSTEMS FOR A TOTAL NOT-TO-EXCEED AMOUNT OF
$539,093.99 FOR THE PURCHASE OF POLICE RIFLES AND
ACCESSORY EQUIPMENT; AND
AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PURCHASE
Attachments: 1. Rifle Selection Memo 2025
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends City Council approve a purchase order in the not-to-exceed amount of $539,093.99 to SIONICS Weapon Systems (“SIONICS”) for the procurement of patrol rifles and associated tactical components. Staff also recommends authorizing the City Manager, or their designee, to execute all required documents related to the purchase, including trade-in agreements and confirmation of FAET (Federal Excise Tax) exemption.
INTRODUCTION
As part of the Police Department’s strategic equipment modernization effort, staff has completed a comprehensive evaluation and selection process for the replacement of aging patrol rifles. Many of the Department's current rifles are more than a decade old, and a growing number are no longer serviceable or compliant with deployment requirements.
The Department identified the SIONICS SAR-15 Patrol Rifle platform as the optimal replacement through a rigorous selection process. The acquisition will support individual issue for sworn officers and standardization of patrol rifle capability. These rifles are not considered AB 481 items, as they are being deployed for the entire Department as standard-issue equipment and are not special duty items.
DISCUSSION
The Department’s existing rifle inventory includes units first deployed between 2010 and 2014. Industry standards recommend replacement after 10–15 years of service. Over 20% Meeting Date: September 9, 2025
of the inventory is already out of service due to wear, obsolescence, or disallowed configuration (e.g., select-fire rifles).
In 2024, the Police Department’s Firearms Training and Armorer Cadre (FTAC) conducted a multi-month evaluation of modern patrol rifle systems. After comprehensive testing of function, reliability, ergonomics, and optics integration, the SIONICS SAR-15 system was selected.
The SIONICS quote includes rifles, suppressors, optics, lights, magazines, cases, and ancillary armorer tools and training. Quote #26924-XI-BHPD, dated May 27, 2025, was issued directly to the Department and includes trade-in credits and tax exemptions applicable to law enforcement. The SIONICS items referenced in this report can only be purchased from the manufacturer directly. Beverly Hills Municipal Code § 3-3-113 (C) allows for an exception to the City’s bidding requirements when the procured items are proprietary items of original equipment manufacturers and/or their authorized exclusive distributors.
FISCAL IMPACT
Over the life cycle of capital equipment, the Police Department and Finance Department work collaboratively to collect and manage replacement funds within the Equipment Replacement Fund (Fund 400). This approach ensures sufficient funds are available when essential equipment reaches the end of its service life. For this procurement, funding has been previously appropriated in Fund 400 as part of the FY 2024–25 budget cycle.
SIONICS Weapon Systems has provided a final quote totaling $669,103.99, which includes all equipment, accessories, tax, and shipping. The quote also incorporates a $129,010.00 trade-in credit, and an additional $1,000.00 credit for a legacy equipment item. These credits reduce the net total cost to the City to $539,093.99. No General Fund dollars are required to support this purchase.
A summary of the vendor’s final quotation is provided below:
Item Amount
Subtotal (equipment and accessories) $609,661.95
California Sales Tax (9.75%) $59,442.04
Total Before Trade-In $669,103.99
Less: Trade-In Credit (rifles) ($129,010.00)
Less: Additional Credit (40mm launcher
trade-in)
($1,000.00)
Total Purchase Cost (net to City) $539,093.99
Shipping Included
Funding Source:
Fund 400 – Equipment Replacement Fund
Account: 40009917-740300
Mark G. Stainbrook
Chief of Police
Approved By
Attachment 1