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Seal Beach Police present AB 481 inventory and use policy overview to council
Summary
Lieutenant Chris Hendricks detailed the Seal Beach Police Department’s listed equipment under California’s AB 481, including drones, a shared BearCat vehicle, mobile command post, less‑lethal munitions and robots; presentation emphasized preparedness and stated policies are posted online.
The Seal Beach Police Department presented an annual report on equipment listed under California Assembly Bill 481, outlining what the department possesses and how it is governed.
Lieutenant Chris Hendricks told the council AB 481 requires local law enforcement to disclose military equipment that it may acquire, explain intended uses, storage, cost and operational policies, and make those policies publicly available. “We have to tell our elected officials what equipment we may wanna buy that's military equipment, how much it's gonna cost, what we're gonna use it for, where it's gonna be stored, make sure that it's safe, and, we have to have a policy that dictates how we would use it or when it would be used,” Hendricks said.
Hendricks reviewed items the department reported under the law. Items mentioned in the presentation included: drone systems used for rooftop checks, missing-person searches and suspect location; access to a West County shared BearCat armored vehicle stored by Westminster Police Department and deployed on SWAT callouts; a federally funded mobile command post; 40mm launchers used with non‑lethal sponge projectiles or for entry purposes; less‑lethal shotguns and beanbag rounds; patrol rifles and SWAT rifles; pepper‑ball launchers and related less‑lethal devices; diversionary devices including flash‑bangs and “stinger” rounds (held for SWAT use); chemical irritant canisters and smoke canisters for tactical operations; kinetic breaching tools; an LRAD (loudspeaker) for announcements; and a remotely operated robot purchased by the West County SWAT consortium.
Hendricks emphasized the department’s emphasis on officer and civilian safety, saying some items are held for rare, high‑risk incidents, disaster or rescue operations, or shared countywide under mutual aid arrangements. He noted that some items were obtained via federal grant programs and that some are stored offsite as part of regional teams.
Council members asked about training, community safety culture and what happens to equipment when it is retired. Hendricks said older drones are used for spare parts and training; other equipment can be redistributed to partner agencies or returned to grant programs per federal rules.
The council did not take an action on the presentation; the department said its AB 481 policy is posted on the city website and the state requirement also includes an annual public presentation and public comment period.
