Carlsbad police outline 2024 military-equipment use; council introduces renewal ordinance

The Carlsbad Police Department presented its annual military equipment use report for 2024 and the City Council voted to introduce an ordinance renewing the department's military equipment policy.

The report, presented by Lieutenant Jason Arnotti, summarized the department's inventory, described how the equipment is used to respond to critical incidents and large public events, and recommended the council renew the department's military equipment policy in accordance with state law (Assembly Bill 481 and related Government Code provisions).

Arnotti told the council the annual report is required under state law and is intended to provide transparency about funding, acquisitions and deployments. He said the department's 2024 uses included three high‑risk search warrants, 11 critical incidents involving armed or barricaded subjects, 11 quick reaction force deployments tied largely to special events (for example the Carlsbad 5000 and summer concerts), and 175 unmanned aerial system (drone) deployments for open area searches, missing‑person searches and agency assists. Arnotti said there were no reported policy violations in 2024 and that deployments are audited by the military equipment coordinator and Professional Standards Bureau.

The presentation described the inventory as containing 53 items, six of which are used by the SWAT team. Arnotti outlined recent inventory changes: the department traded 24 SIG Sauer semi‑automatic rifles for 24 Geissele rifles; replaced five drones with newer models; added three pairs of dual‑tube night‑vision goggles using state homeland security grant funds; purchased training flash diversionary charges; and increased the department's less‑lethal beanbag shotgun inventory from 15 to 41 by converting lethal shotguns into less‑lethal platforms.

Arnotti also described a multi‑agency grant application to the San Diego Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) to replace an aging Lenco BearCat armored rescue vehicle; he said the UASI board approved funding priority 1 and that receipt of replacement equipment is anticipated in future years. He reiterated that each equipment type in the inventory must meet statutory standards: necessity (no reasonable alternative), safeguards for welfare and civil liberties, reasonable cost‑effectiveness, and prior compliance or corrective actions for noncompliance.

Council members asked for clarifications about the historical context for equipment acquisitions, training and staff time required to prepare the report. Arnotti said many items are used preventively to develop intelligence ahead of events, and that compiling the annual report required several days of staff work. No public speakers addressed this item during the council hearing.

After questions, a council member moved to introduce the ordinance renewing the police department's military equipment use policy. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously, sending the ordinance forward for subsequent readings and adoption procedures.

The ordinance introduction will proceed through the city's standard ordinance process; the report and inventory remain available to the public as required under state law.