The City Council voted 7-0 Tuesday to approve the Long Beach Police Department’s policy on how it will use its inventory of weapons and equipment that were originally designed for the military. The LBPD has used military-grade equipment for years, but last night marked the first time City Council approval was needed thanks to AB 481, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September 2021. The law requires every law enforcement agency in the state to make public an annual inventory of any and all equipment it uses that was originally designed for the military along with its policy for using the equipment. To continue using the equipment, those documents had to gain approval from the department’s governing body—in this case, the City Council. The LBPD will use these weapons and equipment “in accordance with State and federal laws to protect life and property, and to serve all people with respect, dignity, and in a constitutional manner,” according to a staff report from LBPD Chief Wally Hebeish. The report also notes that the department has not acquired any military equipment from the Department of Defense’s Law Enforcement Support Program “in recent years.” Councilmember Rex Richardson, acting as Vice Mayor in the absence of Mayor Robert Garcia, noted that the City Council had never previously discussed the LBPD’s military weaponry in a public forum during the 12 years he’s been in city government. Though he said he anticipates that the issue will “become more complex over time,” he noted that AB 481 had “done its job” bringing transparency to the issue. For the full story click the link in our bio, where you can also sign up for our newsletters and become a member to support local journalism #longbeach #police #military #equipment