PoliceDepartment
AB 481 Military Equipment
1 Public Safety Subcommittee Meeting
April 20,2022
Dan Marincik
Lieutenant,Police Department
AB 481
• September 30, 2021- Assembly Bill 481 signed into law. • Codified by Government Code sections § 7070-7075
• 481: Military Equipment Funding, Acquisition and Use
• Help with transparency, accountability, oversight of acquisition and use of equipment
• Safeguards to protect public welfare, safety, civil rights and liberties 2 AB 481 Requirements
• Post a draft policy and equipment inventory online 30 days prior to public meeting
• Seek Government body approval of a Policy and Ordinance as well as prepare an Annual report which includes:
• How the equipment is used
• Maintenance use and costs
• Quantity possessed
• Internal Audits
• Community input and questions on use and complaints
• Requires council approval for the acquisition of funds associated with military equipment 3
Categories of Equipment
• AB 481 has 15 categories of equipment that fall under the law • The Santa Rosa Police Department has equipment that
qualifies for 8 of those categories
4 SRPD Categories of Equipment
1. Projectile Launchers
2. “Flashbang” grenades, “tear gas” and “pepper balls”
(Chemical Agents/Diversionary Devices)
3. Command and Control Vehicles
4. Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD)
5. Specialized Firearms and Ammunition of less than .50 caliber
6. Armored Personnel Carriers (Armored Rescue Vehicles)
7. Battering Rams, Slugs, and Breaching Apparatuses that are Explosive in Nature
8. Unmanned Aerial or Ground Vehicles
5 Projectile Launchers
• Allows officers to use chemical agents or kinetic energy projectiles
• Officers can deploy these from a greater distance which provides an alternative option for a higher-level use of force • This category includes 40mm less lethal launchers and sponge rounds
• Additionally, we have identified 2 different less lethal devices and munitions that we have disposed of or are in the process of disposing of
6 Chemical Munitions
Diversionary Devices
• Includes items such a Flashbangs and CS gas.
• Flashbangs are a distraction device used by our SWAT team during high-risk situations
• SWAT team uses chemical agents to help extract a subject from a fixed location, deny an area to a suspect, or to safely detain a suspect who poses a risk of violence
• Mobile Field Force uses chemical agents in a riotous situation • This category includes CS gas and flashbangs. Additionally, we have disposed of or are in the process of disposing of 10 chemical agent munitions we no longer have a need for 7 Command and Control Vehicles
• Vehicles with radio communication and technology to
facilitate the command and control of units in the field • For special events, critical and non-critical incidents, and natural disasters
• Allows for mobile command and dispatching by being near the actual incident location allowing for better near decision making
• This category includes our mobile command vehicle and one we are attempting to purchase in the future
8 Long Range Acoustic Device
• A communication system to relay critical information during situations such as:
• Natural disasters, evacuations, protests, high-risk search or arrest warrants, hostage/barricade situations, search and rescues • The warning tone on the SRPD LRAD has been disabled
9 Specialized Firearms and
Ammunition
• SRPD has specialized rifles and ammunition (includes 5.56mm and .308 caliber) used by our SWAT Team
• They allow for more precision and accuracy than handguns as well as provide longer distances
• This minimizes the risk to the public and officers instead of the use of a standard handgun
10 Armored Rescue Vehicles
• Used to provide ballistic protection to citizens and officers during rescues, critical incidents, or other hazardous situations • They are intended to be used as a rescue vehicle in the event an officer or victim is in dire need of rescue
• They are reinforced civilian vehicles
• We do not own an armored rescue vehicle but have access to one through the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office
11 Breaching Apparatuses
• Breaching shotgun rounds are used in high-risk entries or barricade/hostage situations where entry needs to be made quickly
• In less urgent or high-risk situations, officers have access to handheld battering rams
12 Unmanned Aerial or Ground
Systems (Drones & Robots)
• Allows officers to view areas from locations they would not normally be able to or would need to be in a heightened risk of danger to obtain the same information
• This allows us to have a better view and gather more
information
• Used for things such as searching for missing individuals, looking for suspects, documenting crime scenes
13 Questions?
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