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Police present AB 481 military-equipment report; council introduces renewal ordinance
Summary
Mountain View Police Department presented the Assembly Bill 481 annual report on military equipment and sought reauthorization of its military equipment use policy; council introduced an ordinance renewing the policy and set a second reading.
The Mountain View Police Department on May 13 presented its annual report under Assembly Bill 481, which requires local agencies to inventory certain types of military equipment, disclose uses and funding, hold a community meeting and seek governing body authorization for continued use.
Police Chief Michael Canfield and City Attorney Jennifer Logue summarized the department's inventory, training and community outreach. Equipment listed in the report included drones, a mobile command vehicle, a tracked robot, explosive breaching tools, chemical munitions, diversionary devices, some specialized firearms and less-lethal munitions. Chief Canfield said several items were used in training during 2024; use in the field did not mean the item had been fired or deployed.
The staff report identified a small number of replacement purchases for training and expended items, estimated together at about $16,000, and one larger acquisition under consideration: an armored rescue vehicle with a total cost estimated at roughly $382,000. Chief Canfield said about $230,000 of that amount was proposed to come from federal and state asset-forfeiture funds, with the remainder from department sources.
City Attorney Logue explained AB 481's statutory requirements (California Government Code sections enacted by AB 481) for authorizing and reporting on military equipment and said the city prepared a confidential legal memorandum and held a community meeting on April 21 to comply with the law. The council voted to introduce an ordinance renewing the Mountain View Police Department's military equipment use policy and scheduled a second reading on May 27.
Council members asked about equipment-sharing with other agencies, drone uses beyond public safety and mutual aid. Chief Canfield said neighboring agencies sometimes make armored vehicles available but that delays and logistics can leave Mountain View dependent on others in emergencies; he recommended the city have its own armored rescue vehicle where feasible. He described drone uses such as missing-person searches, indoor safety checks, roof inspections and potential support for flood or habitat assessments.
Mayor Ellen Kamei thanked staff for the presentation; the council voted to introduce the ordinance without opposition. Staff will post the AB 481 annual report, publish the policy and return for the ordinance second reading on May 27.
