Oxnard-- The Community Services, Public Housing, Housing & Development Committee approved the Military Equipment acquisition by the Oxnard Police Department Tuesday, March 14.
The purchase will include a DUI enforcement command trailer, a traffic collision investigation response van, an unmanned aerial vehicle response van, three Patrol Sergeant command vehicles, precision rifles, and chemical agents.
Special Operations Commander Tim Kelley presented the item and said Assembly bill 45 requires Law Enforcement Agencies to seek approval from governing bodies, the City Council, before funding or purchasing any equipment defined as Military Equipment.
“On April 19, 2022, the City Council adopted the Oxnard Police Department’s Military Equipment Use Policy and authorized the Department to use the equipment listed in its Military Equipment Inventory,” he said. “The list is available through the Oxnard Police Department’s website.”
He said Mobile Command Vehicles are considered Military Equipment under AB 481 and are defined as “command and control vehicles either built or modified to facilitate the operational control and direction of Public Safety Units.”
“The Department intends to add a total of six small command vehicles to its fleet, all of which fall within the scope of this code section,” Kelley said.
He said the Police…
