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City reauthorizes police military‑equipment policy; council approves staff report and proposed Throwbot purchase
Summary
Los Altos council reviewed its AB41/AB481 military‑equipment annual report and reintroduced Policy 709. The police reported 17 drone uses in 2025, maintenance costs of about $4,800, an estimated training cost figure, and sought authorization to acquire a micro‑robot 'Throwbot' for SWAT use funded by a COPS grant.
The Los Altos City Council reviewed the Police Department’s annual report on military equipment use and reauthorized its military‑equipment ordinance as required by state law.
Captain Krauss summarized the department’s 2025 activity: the department used drones 17 times after the equipment entered inventory, reported no citizen complaints or internal policy violations related to military equipment last year, and listed approximately $4,800 in maintenance costs. The report also included a conservative estimate of total training costs associated with all military equipment (calculated by using a top‑step overtime rate and logged training hours), which the department characterized as an overestimate and presented to show the scale of training investment.
Council asked for the full inventory to be included in the annual report; staff agreed to append the inventory to the report moving forward. Captain Krauss also sought council approval to acquire a Throwbot (a small, throwable micro‑robot weighing about 1.8 pounds and used to observe or deliver a small item into a confined interior space). He said the Throwbot is quieter and more maneuverable in tight interior spaces than small drones, can carry small negotiation items such as a phone or water, and would primarily be used by trained SWAT operators; the department proposed purchasing it with a COPS grant (approximate cost $19,000) rather than general‑fund dollars.
Council members probed training and liability questions, ammunition inventory edits and brand‑flexibility for future purchases, and the disposition of replaced weapons (trade‑in to an authorized firearm dealer). Captain Krauss said the department will trade replaced Colt rifles to an authorized dealer, LC Action, in San Jose.
Motion and next steps: Council voted to reintroduce and renew the ordinance approving Police Policy 709 addressing funding, acquisition and use of military equipment and found the action categorically exempt from CEQA. Captain Krauss said the department will include the full inventory in future annual reports and pursue grant reimbursement channels for the Throwbot acquisition.
Why it matters: AB 481/AB41 requires that jurisdictions publish an annual military‑equipment report, host a community meeting for public feedback and seek council approval before adding new equipment to inventory. The council’s action keeps Los Altos’ policy current, commits to more transparent reporting (inventory inclusion), and approves the department’s request path for a small tactical robot funded by a federal grant rather than the general fund.
