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Page 4 of 13 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org <br />By integrating BWC with other digital systems, including real-time situational awareness platforms, UAS, <br />and advanced data management tools, the Redwood City Police Department can improve coordination <br />during critical incidents, facilitate de-escalation efforts through enhanced situational awareness, and <br />strengthen transparency and accountability. The proposed amendment consolidates these systems into <br />a unified platform while maintaining existing capabilities and supporting the objectives outlined in the <br />Military Equipment Use Policy framework. <br />ANALYSIS <br />Review of the 2025 Military Equipment Use Report and Readoption of the Military Equipment Use Policy <br />AB 481 was introduced to increase transparency and accountability for the funding, acquisition, and use <br />of military equipment by state and local law enforcement agencies. The legislation includes a broad <br />definition of what constitutes military equipment, including items used primarily by law enforcement. <br />Several of the items the law defines as military equipment are not necessarily used by the military but are <br />less-lethal, standard issue equipment for peace officers. While much of this equipment is not used in <br />standard, day-to-day operations, it is essential equipment in certain critical situations and necessary to <br />effectively de-escalate intense situations, bring volatile conditions and critical incidents to a safe <br />resolution, and increase officer and community safety. <br />The law defines 14 specific categories of military equipment. Table 1 below provides an overview of these <br />categories, identifies the equipment the Police Department is authorized to use, and includes examples. <br />The Department possesses and is authorized to use equipment in nine of these categories, as indicated: <br />Table 1 - Existing Authorized Military Equipment by Category (AB 481) <br />Category Description <br />Command and control vehicles Chevy Tahoe; Workhorse/Mattman Mobile Command <br />Vehicle <br />Specialized rifles of less than .50 caliber M4s, MP5s, and patrol rifles <br />Unmanned, remotely piloted, powered <br />aerial or ground vehicles Drones and Robotex Search Robots <br />Kinetic energy weapons and munitions 40mm launchers, 4-shot multi-launchers, and less-lethal <br />beanbag shotguns <br />Noise-flash diversionary devices and <br />explosive breaching Def-Tech diversionary devices <br />Munitions containing tear gas or OC Various CS gas delivery systems and Pepperball launchers <br />Battering rams, slugs, and explosive <br />breaching apparatuses Remington 870 breaching shotgun; KBT <br />TASER® Shockwave, microwave weapons, <br />water cannons, and long-range acoustic <br />devices (LRADs) <br />TASER® Shockwave; LRADs <br />Mine-resistant ambush-protected <br />vehicles or armored personnel carriers MRAPs or armored personnel carriers <br />9.A. - Page 4 of 197 <br />361