REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MINDY CASTO, Chief of Police
Office of the Chief
BY: BRIAN PIERCE, Lieutenant
Special Response Section Commander
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the renewal of the Fresno Police Department Annual Military Equipment Use Report as originally required by Assembly Bill 481, codified under Government Code sections 7070-7075.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council approve the renewal of the Fresno Police Department Annual Military Equipment Use Report. Approval of this Report would allow the Fresno Police Department to continue to utilize military equipment specified by Government Code sections 7070-7075 in accordance with the Fresno Municipal Code requirements.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Assembly Bill 481 (AB 481) was signed into law on September 30, 2021, taking effect on January 1, 2022, codified under Government Code sections 7070-7075. The enacted legislation specifically defines the types of equipment for which approval must be obtained and once adopted, mandates annual reporting to the governing body to ensure compliance. On May 12, 2022, the City of Fresno adopted Ordinance No. 2022-10 Adopting a Policy for the Use of Military Equipment by the Fresno Police Department to meet the requirements set forth in AB 481.
To meet this mandate, the Fresno Police Department has drafted a comprehensive inventory of this military equipment as defined in Government Code sections 7070-7075.
The report was presented to the City Council on March 19, 2026. A public meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, from 1800-1930 hours in Council Chambers at Fresno City Hall.
BACKGROUND
AB 481 established certain requirements that must be met before a law enforcement agency can acquire or use military equipment. Government Code ? 7072(a) requires that a law enforcement agency submit an annual military equipment report to the governing body for each type of military equipment for as long as the military equipment is av...
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