Item 9/2026
Final
City of Garden Grove
INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
To:
Lisa L. Kim From: Chief El-Farra
Dept:
City Manager Dept: Police
Date: 1/13/2026
Subject: Introduction and First Reading of an Ordinance Approving an Updated Military Equipment Use Policy and Rescinding Ordinance No. 2960, entitled:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GARDEN GROVE
ADOPTING AN UPDATED GARDEN GROVE POLICE DEPARTMENT MILITARY EQUIPMENT USE POLICY PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE 7071 AND RESCINDING ORDINANCE NO. 2960. (Action Item)
OBJECTIVE
To introduce an ordinance adopting an updated Military Equipment Use Policy.
BACKGROUND
Effective January 1, 2022, California Assembly Bill 481 added Chapter 12.8 (commencing with Section 7070) to Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code. These provisions require law enforcement agencies to obtain the approval of their respective governing bodies, by adoption of a military equipment use polic y (via ordinance), prior to use of any equipment defined by the Government Code as "military equipment." Upon approval of an agency's military equipment use policy, the agency must, thereafter, prepare an annual military equipment use report which must be published to the City's website as well as hold at least one well publicized and conveniently located community engagement meeting at which the general public may discuss and ask questions regarding the annual military equipment report and the law enforcement agency's funding, acquisition, and use of military equipment. The Garden Grove Police Department’s annual report was submitted to the City Council on December 9, 2025. Since that time, the annual report has been posted on the City’s website.
In addition to the required annual report, AB 481 requires each agency's governing body to review any ordinance it has approved which adopts a military equipment use policy and to vote on whether to renew the ordinance. The governing body may choose whether to renew the ordinance, disapprove authorization for use of equipment where standards have not been met, or require modifications to the military equipment use policy based on whether the equipment detailed within the annual report complies with policy and mee ts the standards set forth in California Government Code section 7071(d).
Item 9/2026
DISCUSSION
As required by AB 481, the Department has scheduled a well -publicized and conveniently located community engagement meeting at which the public may discuss and ask questions regarding the Department’s annual military equipment report as well as the City’s funding, acquisition, and use of military equipment. That meeting is scheduled to take place on January 13, 2026, at 1 PM, preceding the January 13 th meeting of the City Council, and will be held via the Zoom remote platform ( https://ggcity-org.zoom.us/j/83759781338 with Meeting ID: 837 5978 1338).
Since the passage of AB 481, the City Council has approved several iterations of the Department’s Military Equipment Policy. Most recently, on November 26, 2024, the Council adopted Ordinance No. 2960 approving the current version of the Garden Grov e Police Department's Military Equipment Policy and rescinding ordinances which approved prior versions of the policy. The attached ordinance, once adopted, will adopt an updated version of Military Equipment Use Policy No. 706, which updates the Department’s military equipment inventory based on current Department needs. U pon adoption, the attached ordinance will replace Ordinance No. 2960.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
At this time, there is only minimal financial impact associated with posting the military equipment use policy and Annual Report on the Department's website and publicizing and holding the required community engagement meeting.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council:
Introduce and conduct the first reading of an Ordinance adopting the updated Military Equipment Use Policy No. 706 and rescinding Ordinance No. 2960.
ATTACHMENT(S)
1. 2025 GG Ordinance Adopting the Updated GGPD Military Equipment Use Policy No. 706
2. 2025 Updated GGPD Military Equipment Use Policy No. 706