Santa Rosa council approves police AB 481 report; department stresses limited protest use and no immigration enforcement cooperation
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Summary
The council adopted the Police Department's annual AB 481 report and resolution, listing equipment inventory (Bearcat, LRAD, less-lethal projectiles, gas munitions, drones, breaching tools) and describing community outreach; the department said most items are not used for protests, drones were used for perimeter safety at a recent march, and staff affirmed no cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
The Santa Rosa City Council on April 8 approved a staff resolution tied to the Police Department's annual report under Assembly Bill 481, which requires local disclosure of equipment acquisition, funding and use. Chief John Kriegen and Lt. Christopher Maher reviewed the inventory and described use cases, training and community engagement.
Lt. Maher outlined the categories of equipment covered by AB 481: projectile launchers (used with blue-tip, less-lethal rounds), chemical munitions and diversionary devices, command-and-control vehicles and armored rescue vehicles (Bearcat), breaching apparatus, unmanned aerial systems (drones) and robots, long-range acoustic devices (LRAD) and specialized firearms. He said the department's use aims to minimize harm and to enable negotiators to work from a safer distance.
"We bring this equipment to community open-house events; people can see and handle many of these tools," Maher said, describing a January community meeting and a show-and-tell demonstration. On protest use, the department stated that almost none of the items are used during First Amendment assemblies; the only item used recently during a downtown march was a drone for perimeter safety. Chief Kriegen and staff emphasized that the department will not use these tools for immigration enforcement and cited state protections.
Councilmembers asked about procurement, whether equipment came from military sources (the department said it does not procure military-surplus gear) and how replacements are decided (expiration dates and evolving technology are triggers). Staff also said some items (e.g., certain drones or command vehicles) can be used for public-safety responses such as missing-person searches and flood rescues.
Public commenters asked about sales of equipment, budget impacts and whether sold devices retain any data; staff said sold devices are wiped of recordings and sold in compliance with city rules. The Council adopted the resolution as amended by staff that leaves the current ordinance unchanged and authorizes continued reporting and use under AB 481. The motion, made by Councilmember McDonald and seconded by Councilmember Rogers, passed 5-0.
