TITLE:
title
AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT AN EQUIPMENT USE POLICY GOVERNING THE USE OF SPECIFIED EQUIPMENT PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY BILL (AB) 481.
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DEPARTMENT: POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESENTED BY: RONALD LAWRENCE, CHIEF OF POLICE
CONTACT INFORMATION: JASON CHAMNESS 714-754-5354
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council to:
1. Hold a public hearing and introduce and give first reading to an Ordinance approving an amended AB 481 Equipment Use Policy.
2. Authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to work with the City Attorney's Office to execute any and all documents necessary to acquire and finance/purchase a new armored rescue vehicle for the Police Department approved in the FY 2022-23 Budget.
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BACKGROUND:
Assembly Bill 481 (AB 481), codified at Government Code sections 7070 through 7075 requires a law enforcement agency to obtain approval from the applicable governing body via ordinance, adopting a "military equipment" use policy, prior to the agency funding, acquiring, or using equipment identified under AB 481.
AB 481 became law as of January 1, 2022. Per AB 481, law enforcement agencies are now required to first obtain approval for the policy content from their respective governing body. After enacting the ordinance adopting the policy, law enforcement agencies are further required to submit an annual report to the governing body for as long as the equipment is available for use. Agencies must also hold at least one community engagement meeting within 30 days of submitting and publicly releasing the annual report. Finally, agencies are required to attach an AB 481 equipment inventory to the policy. Agencies seeking to continue using AB 481 equipment acquired prior to January 1, 2022, had until May 1, 2022 to commence the governing body approval process described by the statute.
Staff commenced this process in March 2022 and the AB 481 Equipment Use Policy was submitted to the City Council and posted on the C...
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