Military Equipment Annual Report

On December 13, 2022, the Kern County Board of Supervisors adopted Kern County Ordinance G-9185 under California Assembly Bill No. 481 (AB 481), which codified Chapter 12.8 to Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, commencing with section 7070. The legislative intent behind AB 481 was to increase the public transparency by which California law enforcement agencies fund, acquire, and use “military equipment.”

Ordinance G-9185 requires the Sheriff’s Office to obtain Board of Supervisors approval before taking specific actions relating to the funding, acquisition, and/or use of equipment defined by the ordinance as “military equipment.” The term “military equipment,” as used in Ordinance G-9185, does not necessarily indicate equipment used by the military. The majority of the equipment defined by this ordinance and possessed by the Sheriff’s Office is employed by most law enforcement agencies across the country to enhance citizen and officer safety. In addition, Ordinance G-9185 requires the Sheriff’s Office to submit an annual military equipment report to the Board of Supervisors by July 1st of each year for as long as the military equipment is available for use.The Board of Supervisors approved Sheriff’s Office Military Equipment Use Policy J-4000, which allows the Sheriff’s Office to purchase military equipment items outlined in this policy as needed to meet department needs.

The Sheriff’s Office shall make each annual military equipment report publicly available on the department website for as long as the military equipment is available for use and hold a community engagement meeting within 30 days of posting the report to the department website.

This report will be presented to the Kern County Board of Supervisors during a regular meeting on December 5, 2023, at 1115 Truxtun Avenue in Bakersfield. The public will be able to comment on this report during that meeting.

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