Public Safety Committee to Hear Review on Police Department’s Military Equipment

The Public Safety Committee will consider recommending the Pasadena City Council renew its ordinance governing the use of military equipment by the Pasadena Police Department during its meeting on Wednesday.

The decision comes following a detailed annual report on the department’s military equipment usage.

Law enforcement agencies are required to draft and publicly post a military equipment policy, seek governing body approval, and hold annual community engagement meetings.

The Pasadena Police Department submitted its annual military equipment report covering June 2023 to June 2024, including details on equipment usage, internal audits, and fiscal impacts. The report was reviewed following a community engagement meeting held on June 16 at the Washington Park Community House.

AB 481 requires “at a minimum” six elements in the annual report for each type of equipment:

• A summary of how each type of equipment was used and the purpose of that use;
• The quantity possessed of each type of equipment;
• Annual costs for each type of equipment, “including acquisition, personnel, training, transportation, maintenance, storage, upgrade, and other ongoing costs”;
• Summary of complaints or concerns received for each type of equipment;
• Information disclosing violations of military equipment policies and actions taken in response, as well as the result of internal audits; and
• Plans to acquire additional military equipment in the coming year, and the quantity sought.

The Police Department has reported no policy violations or significant issues related to equipment use in the past year. The military equipment inventory includes items such as unmanned vehicles, drones, armored vehicles, and less-lethal weapons. The equipment, mostly purchased or seized, is intended to enhance safety and effectiveness in law enforcement operations.

The Council’s review of the ordinance is mandated by state law, despite the Council-Manager form of government, which typically limits the Council’s direct involvement in policy approval. The law emphasizes statewide oversight of military equipment use to ensure transparency and accountability.