Council introduces military-equipment use ordinance after report on department inventory and safeguards

The Gardena Police Department presented its 2024 annual report under Assembly Bill 481 on May 13 and the City Council introduced Ordinance 18-81 to adopt Policy 706, the department’s military equipment use policy. Lieutenant Chris Cuff summarized the inventory, public outreach, and training attached to listed equipment and said the department took a broad approach to transparency when assembling the policy.

Lieutenant Chris Cuff told the council that none of the department’s equipment was obtained from the Department of Defense 1033 program and that the department does not possess equipment “designed specifically for military use.” He described categories of equipment covered by AB 481 — from drones and armored components to specified firearms and training munitions — and said the majority of listed uses in 2024 were for training. Council members asked about acquiring surplus military equipment and about policies controlling drone and other uses; Cuff said Gardena has no plans to obtain 1033 property and that drones are used incident-by-incident rather than for routine patrol.

Why it matters: AB 481 requires local approval of a military-equipment policy before acquisition or continued use; it also requires annual reporting and community engagement. The ordinance introduction allows the Police Department to maintain approved equipment and to allow mutual-aid use by regional partners under the policy. The council voted to introduce Ordinance 18-81; the measure returns for adoption at a future meeting.