Fresno council approves police military-equipment report after public demands for clearer accounting

The Fresno City Council on March 26 approved the Fresno Police Department’s annual military-equipment inventory and use report, following hours of public comment demanding more transparency about when and where equipment is used and how much it costs to deploy.

At a contested-consent hearing that drew residents and advocacy groups, the department described a community meeting it held the prior evening and said it would take steps to expand outreach next year and to itemize personnel and training costs connected with specific equipment. Deputy Chief Burke Farah said the meeting included technical staff and lasted until 8 p.m., and that volunteers from the public have offered to work with the department to plan next year’s outreach.

"We wanted a discussion and transparency," Farah said, adding that the session included a review of each type of equipment and the number of recorded uses. He told the…