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1 RiversideCA.gov
PROPOSAL OF A MILITARY
EQUIPMENT ORDINANCE
City Council
April 26, 2022
Riverside Police Department
RiversideCA.gov
2 BACKGROUND ON AB 481
• Ca Governor signed AB 481 in September 2021, became
effective January 1, 2022.
• Classifies certain Law Enforcement Equipment as
“Military Equipment,” requiring City Council oversight. • Doesn’t matter whether equipment ever used by the US
Military, or acquired from the Federal Government.
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3 RMC CHAPTER 2.70
• AB 481 requires the City of Riverside to conduct a public hearing to receive community input, and to adopt the
Police Department’s military equipment use policy by an ordinance before acquiring or continuing to use
previously-acquired equipment
• Each year thereafter, the ordinance and policy must be reviewed and re-approved by the City Council.
RiversideCA.gov
4 RPD POLICY 705
• Military Equipment Policy: governs the use of equipment described in CA Government Code 7070, such as:
– Armored Rescue Vehicle
– Mobile Command Post Vehicles
– Bomb Robots and Drones
– Less-Lethal Systems
– Breaching Devices
– Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD)
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5 PURPOSE OF SPECIALIZED LE EQUIPMENT
• Preserve human life
• Search and rescue operations
• Rapid response to critical incidents
• High-risk apprehensions
• Hostage and victim rescue
• Safe and effective de-escalation tactics
• Less lethal use of force options
• Reduced likelihood of injury or death to officers/ public.
RiversideCA.gov
6 IMPORTANCE TO OUR COMMUNITY
• Specialized law enforcement equipment already in use
by RPD and other agencies throughout California.
• Interagency agreements in place through the
Association of Riverside County Chiefs of Police and
Sheriffs (ARCCOPS).
• Equipment necessary to minimize risk of harm to
potentially violent suspects, officers, and the community. 5 6
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7 NECESSARY FINDINGS - GOVT CODE 7071(D)(1)
• A determination that:
– Specialized Law Enforcement Equipment, classified as Military Equipment, is necessary because there is no reasonable
alternative to achieve objective of officer and civilian safety. – The Department’s policy will safeguard the public’s welfare, safety, civil rights, and civil liberties.
– The equipment is reasonably cost-effective compared to available alternatives that can achieve the same objective. – Existing equipment complies with the Department’s use policy, and if not, corrective action has been taken.
RiversideCA.gov
8 Strategic Priority No. 2 – Community Well-Being
Goal No. 2.4 – Support programs and innovations that enhance community safety, encourage neighborhood engagement, and build public trust.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
Cross-Cutting Threads
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9 RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council:
– Receive a report regarding Military and Specialized Law Enforcement Equipment; and
– Adopt the proposed ordinance regarding Military and
Specialized Law Enforcement Equipment.
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