At the City Council meeting on the evening of Monday, October 14, the council approved Action Item 2 (A2): “Review and Approval of the 2023-2024 Culver City Police Department Military Equipment Annual Report Pursuant to Government Code Section 7071(e)(2).”
The item approves the use of military equipment pursuant to Assembly Bill 481, which has required all equipment classified as military to be approved annually by the City Council since 2022.
Back in 2022, the city stated that “AB 481 seeks to provide transparency, oversight, and an opportunity for meaningful public input on decisions regarding whether and how military equipment is funded, acquired, or used.”
It went on to state that, “the Culver City Police Department does not possess any tactical equipment obtained from the military, nor does it possess any equipment that is designed solely for military use.”
Once again this year, the CCPD clarified that equipment categorized as military that it currently has in its inventory includes drones, two armored vans, specialized rifles, flashbands, tear gas, and kinetic energy weapons (beanbags).
The council members acknowledged that the word “military” is unnerving, but most agreed that the equipment is nothing out of the ordinary for police use. However, Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin abstained and the vote passed 4-0.