STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
June 9, 2026
CONSENT
9 SUBJECT: ANNUAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT INVENTORY REPORT (AB 481) RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Receive and file the attached report per the requirements of California Assembly Bill 481;
2. Authorize the police department to conduct a public meeting in the City Council Chambers on June 17, 2026 at 8:00 a.m.; and
3. Determine that the proposed action is not a “project” for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”).
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
On September 30, 2021, Governor Newsom approved Assembly Bill 481. The Bill requires law enforcement agencies to obtain approval from the City Council to take certain actions relating to the funding, acquisition, or use of military equipment.
On June 7, 2022, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1674, which added Laguna Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) Chapter 2.37, approving the Laguna Beach Police Department (LBPD) Military Equipment Policy and Inventory. AB 481 and LBMC Chapter 2.37 mandate that the LBPD submit to the City Council an annual inventory of military equipment it possesses (Attachment 1).
DISCUSSION
ANNUAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT INVENTORY REPORT (AB 481)
June 9, 2026
AB 481, codified as Government Code sections 7070 through 7075, requires a law enforcement agency to obtain approval from the applicable governing body via adoption of a “military equipment” use policy by the governing body prior to the agency funding, acquiring, or using military equipment.
Within 30 days of submitting and publicly releasing an annual military equipment inventory (Attachment 1), the law enforcement agency shall hold at least one well-publicized and conveniently located community engagement meeting, at which the public may discuss and ask questions regarding the annual military equipment inventory and the law enforcement agency’s funding, acquisition, or use of military equipment.
The law enforcement agency must also make each annual report publicly available on its internet website for as long as the military equipment is available for use.
The term “military equipment,” as used in AB 481, does not necessarily indicate that the military has used the equipment or that the agency has acquired these items from a military or government source. Items deemed to be military equipment pursuant to AB 481 include but are not limited to, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), less lethal shotguns, command and control vehicles, and less lethal 40mm projectile launchers. Many items deemed to be “military equipment” by AB 481 are employed by law enforcement agencies across the county to specifically reduce risk to community members. These items provide peace officers with the ability to safely resolve volatile situations that otherwise might result in serious bodily injury or death.
The Police Department’s mission is to provide the highest quality police services to our community. The department operates in unpredictable and dynamic environments and responds to a wide variety of critical incidents, instances of civil unrest, and life-and-death situations. As such, a variety of equipment options are needed for an effective and safe resolution to those situations. The Police Department’s diverse catalog of equipment and associated training gives Police Officers the confidence and capability to de-escalate volatile situations, enhance the safety of the public and officers, and bring critical incidents to a safe resolution.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
The recommended action has no financial impact to the budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
Approval of the proposed action has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines § 15378.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2025 LBPD Military Equipment Use Annual Report (Pgs. 3-45) Submitted By:
Approved: .David A Kiff
ANNUAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT INVENTORY REPORT (AB 481)
June 9, 2026
Jeff Calvert, Police Chief Dave Kiff, City Manager
Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
David Dereszynski, Police Captain