Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Military Equipment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
NCPD presents AB 481 military equipment report, seeks approvals for small UAS and armored rescue vehicle
Summary
At the May 21 meeting Lt. Ken Springer presented the National City Police Departments AB 481 annual report, described equipment use and requested grant-funded acquisitions including a LEMUR 2 UAS (~$17,000) and a Lenco Bearcat G3 armored rescue vehicle (about $446,000 plus asset forfeiture funds). Commissioners pressed for clearer public reporting on concerns and inventory justifications.
Lieutenant Ken Springer presented the National City Police Departments 2025 AB 481 military equipment annual report to the Community and Police Relations Commission on May 21 and requested continued authorization of existing equipment and approval of two potential acquisitions funded by grants and asset forfeiture.
Springer listed the department's use of equipment between January 2025 and January 2026, including the departments deployment of an armored vehicle during critical incidents and, on two occasions, the use of chemical agents. He told commissioners the department is seeking a LEMUR 2 small unmanned aerial system (UAS) to be purchased with UASI grant funds for about $17,000 and a Lenco Bearcat G3 armored rescue vehicle funded largely through a UASI grant (about $446,000) plus approximately $86,179.71 from asset forfeiture funds. "This approval enabled the creation of policy 706 and procedure 706 in regard to the use of military equipment," Springer said, describing the statutory process in AB 481 for city-level authorization.
Commissioners pressed for more detail on inventory and usage. One commissioner questioned why the department lists dozens of rifles and tens of thousands of rounds (for example, 55 Colt M4 carbines, 15 Colt M4 CQBs and 18 Daniel Defense rifles with large ammunition inventories). Springer said many patrol vehicles are equipped with rifles for operational readiness, SWAT and training needs, and that ammunition is used largely for qualifications and range training.
On community engagement and reporting, commissioners raised whether the department tracks informal concerns raised by bystanders about the presence of military-style equipment, not just formal internal affairs complaints. "I would view when I'm looking at the statute that that's a concern raised by somebody about the use of military equipment," one commissioner said, urging the department to capture those concerns in the annual summary. Springer agreed those concerns could be tracked and reported and said the department would consider processes to log them.
Springer said the draft report will be posted online once approved and that last year's report is already available on the city website. The council had asked the department to present the report to the commission before returning to the City Council for further action, Springer said.
Next steps: the commission reviewed the report, asked questions about transparency and inventory justification, and will forward comments to the department and city council for their review and any required reauthorization under AB 481.
