Preston Files Formal Inquiry Into SFPD’s Failure to Comply With State Law Requiring Disclosure of Military Equipment Acquisition & Use
While the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office complied with Assembly Bill 481 (Chiu), the San Francisco Police Department missed its deadline by four months, and has yet to file its report
Supervisor Dean Preston, chair of the Government Audit and Oversight Committee, filed a formal inquiry on Tuesday regarding the San Francisco Police Department’s (SFPD) failure to comply with state law requiring Assembly Bill 481, sponsored and passed in 2021 by then-Assemblymember David Chiu. The bill intended to give Californians insight into their local law enforcement agencies’ acquisition and use of military equipment, and requires all local law enforcement agencies that use military equipment to file annual reports detailing their policies, costs, and use.
Under AB 481, law enforcement agencies are required to submit an annual report within one year of their policies’ approval. SFPD’s military equipment use policy was last approved by the Board of Supervisors in December 2022.
“Unfortunately, despite repeated requests over the past few months, we have not yet received the report or a timeline, so today I am filing a formal letter of inquiry regarding this delay and seeking a timeline for the submission of SFPD’s statutorily required report,” stated Preston. “We may not all agree what the appropriate military equipment is for local law enforcement, but we should be able to all agree that transparency and compliance with the law matters.”
In 2022, SFPD had proposed a killer robot policy that authorized the department to equip remote-controlled robots with explosives and approved their use for deadly force. The policy was tabled after widespread local, national, and international outrage. However, SFPD has not yet filed its annual military equipment report nor committed to a firm timeline for filing it.
In contrast, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office filed its annual report and held a public meeting in December 2023 as required under state law. Their annual report was approved by the Board of Supervisors on April 30, 2024.
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