BLUE FOLDER ITEM
Blue folder items are additional back up material to administrative reports and/or public comments received after the printing and distribution of the agenda packet for receive and file.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
August 4, 2026
H.10 ADOPT BY 4/5THS VOTE AND TITLE ONLY RESOLUTION NO. CC-2608- 060 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING A FISCAL YEAR 2026- 2027 BUDGET MODIFICATION TO APPROPRIATE $7,929.13 IN GRANT
FUNDS AWARDED BY THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE
UNDER THE 2025 PATRICK LEAHY BULLETPROOF VEST
PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM TO THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL GRANTS
FUND
CONTACT: STEPHEN SPRENGEL, CHIEF OF POLICE
• Public Communications
From: Bryan Stone
To: CityClerk
Cc: James Light; Paige Kaluderovic; Brad Waller; Chadwick B. Castle; Zein Obagi; Scott Behrendt Subject: Support for Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program (Agenda Item H.10) with Caution Regarding Federal Grants
Date: Monday, August 3, 2026 5:42:22 PM
CAUTION: Email is from an external source; Stop, Look, and Think before opening attachments or links.
Dear Mayor Light and Members of the City Council:
I am writing in support of the City’s participation in the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership program to help equip Redondo Beach police officers with body armor.
Officer safety is a legitimate and important priority. Providing our officers with effective protective equipment is a reasonable use of resources, and the federal reimbursement helps stretch local dollars for this purpose. The associated requirements, a mandatory wear policy and basic registration in the federal System for Award Management, appear modest and consistent with practices a responsible employer would adopt on its own.
At the same time, I want to raise a broader concern. Accepting federal grants, even for worthwhile purposes, can become a slippery slope. Each individual program may seem limited and beneficial, but over time the accumulation of federal funding streams brings conditions, reporting requirements, and gradual erosion of local decision-making. Once a city becomes accustomed to relying on outside money, it can be difficult to reverse course.
I ask the Council to remain vigilant about this pattern. While supporting practical measures that protect officers, the City should continue to scrutinize the long-term implications of federal funding and prioritize solutions that keep control and responsibility as close to Redondo Beach residents as possible.
Thank you for considering both the immediate value of this program and the larger principle of local self-reliance.
Sincerely,
Bryan Stone
22511 Fisk Lane
Redondo Beach