City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: September 22, 2026
Agenda Item: 4.E
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Darrick Jacob, Police Chief, Police Department
Subject: Authorization to Accept United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) FY25 Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. Authorize the City Manager to accept a grant awarded in the amount of $63,937.24 from the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) for the 2025 Bulletproof Vest Partnership (“BVP”) Grant for the purchase of bulletproof vests by the Santa Monica Police Department; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents to accept the grant and all subsequent renewals; and
4. Authorize a budget amendment as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions section of this report (requires 5 votes).
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Summary
The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (“BJA”) awarded the Santa Monica Police Department (“SMPD”) a two-year grant of $63,937.24 as part of the 2025 Bulletproof Vest Partnership (“BVP”) Grant program. This grant would reimburse SMPD for 50 percent of the cost of approximately 152 bulletproof vests purchased under the program. Bulletproof vests are an important tool for keeping officers safe in the field. Staff recommend that the Council accepts the BVP 2025 Grant and authorizes the execution of an agreement with the DOJ for a grant performance period of April 1, 2025 through August 31, 2027.
Although the BVP grant award contract includes four award conditions which on their face appear inconsistent with the Council’s prior direction to staff to refuse unreasonable conditions related to federal immigration enforcement, the conditions are the subject of permanent injunctions and the associated federal court orders enjoining the DOJ from implementing or enforcing them against the City, or from using them to condition the City’s acceptance of the grant or use of award funds. Accordingly, staff recommends accepting the grant and submitting a reservation of rights letter along with the executed award documents to make clear that the City’s acceptance of the award is subject to: 1) the conditions being enjoined; and 2) the City’s right to challenge any DOJ attempt to implement or enforce award conditions against the City during the pendency of the permanent injunctions.
Discussion
The Bulletproof Vest Partnership, created by the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998, is a DOJ initiative designed to provide a critical resource to state and local law enforcement. Bulletproof vests save lives by protecting officers in the line of duty from physical harm. Vests are an important resource for officer safety, which is one of the six main pillars identified in the Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing released in 2015. The report states that every law enforcement officer should be provided with a bulletproof vest and that all law enforcement agencies should adopt policies that require officers to wear bulletproof vests. 3 of 5
The Santa Monica Police Department currently provides a vest to every sworn and fieldassigned uniformed civilian employee and has a policy mandating that these employees wear their assigned vests. The City has been a recipient of these grant funds previously in 2006, 2010, and from 2013–2022. These grant funds would help SMPD to continue to meet the mission of providing every law enforcement officer with a bulletproof vest. The 2025 program funding would provide 50 percent of the cost for approximately 152 replacement vests. Bulletproof vests are on a five-year replacement cycle because of the degradation of the Kevlar from repetitive use. Furthermore, body moisture reduces the vest's ability to maintain the threat level guarantee, which is a circumstance that voids the manufacturer's warranty. The current grant award of $63,937.24 would support the purchase of the vests through August 2027.
Grant Conditions
The BVP grant award contract includes four award conditions which on their face appear inconsistent with the Council’s prior direction to staff to refuse unreasonable conditions related to federal immigration enforcement. Notwithstanding their inclusion in the City’s BVP award documents, these particular conditions are the subject of permanent injunctions and the associated federal court orders enjoining the DOJ from implementing or enforcing them against subdivisions of the State of California including the City, or from using them to condition the City’s acceptance of the grant or use of award funds (See State of California v. Sessions, 3:17-cv-04701 (ECF No. 154) (2018); see also State of California v. Barr, 3:18-cv-05169 (ECF No. 51) (2019)). The DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs website used for providing legal notice includes a direct reference to the court orders and the ongoing injunctions. The site acknowledges that the DOJ will not implement or enforce the disputed award conditions against subdivisions of the State of California such as the City. City staff has confirmed with the grant administrator’s office that its digital grant documents system does not allow for revising the documents to remove the inapplicable award conditions. Instead, staff intends to follow the same process for accepting this award that was used for accepting another DOJ grant earlier this year with similar problematic conditions, which is to submit a reservation of rights letter along with the executed award documents. The 4 of 5
letter makes clear that the City’s acceptance of the award is subject to: 1) the conditions being enjoined; and 2) the City’s right to challenge any DOJ attempt to implement or enforce award conditions against the City during the pendency of the permanent injunctions.
Environmental Review
The acceptance of federal grant funds is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the CEQA Guidelines, which states that CEQA does not apply “where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” The grant funds would enhance public safety with equipment. Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that the acceptance of federal grant funds is exempt from CEQA.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to accept a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance for the FY25 Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program.
Approval of the recommended action requires the following budget amendment:
FY 2026-27 Grant Budget Amendment
Establish Revenue Budget Appropriate Funds
Account Number Amount Account Number Amount
20180001.40427B $63,937.24 20180001.55550B $63,937.24
Total $63,937.24 Total $63,937.24
If renewals are awarded, budget adjustments will be included in subsequent year budgets, contingent on Council budget approval.
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Prepared By: Kiajett Charles, Administrative Analyst
Approved Forwarded to Council