By Robert J. Hansen | OBSERVER Staff Writer
Sacramentans over the past year have been surprised to see black Bearcats – large, oversized armored jeeps with turrets – responding to protests and active shooter situations. They may also have witnessed “the Rook,” a black armored bulldozer, responding to scenarios involving a potential hostage situation or active shooter.
Late last month, the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission, in collaboration with the Sacramento Police Department, hosted two community meetings to discuss SPD’s military equipment use policy.
Graciela Castillo-Krings, chair of the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission, said the conversations sought input, transparency and greater understanding of the mutual needs of community and police, in hopes of achieving equitable balance.
“When law enforcement personnel show a responsive presence within a community,” Castillo-Krings said, “it enables better service and encourages greater public cooperation that improves safety for the community and officers.”
As of 2021, California law requires that all law enforcement agencies obtain approval of an applicable local governing body, such as a city council, which must adopt a military equipment use policy prior to taking certain actions related to the funding, acquisition or use of military equipment.
Military equipment is more frequently deployed in low-income Black and brown communities, meaning the risks and impacts of police militarization are experienced most acutely in marginalized communities, according to the legislation.
SPD provided a draft report on its use of military equipment between May 2022 and April 2023, finding that of 248,983 calls for service and officer-initiated contacts, there were 86 reportable use-of-force incidents, 26 of which involved military equipment, against 18 suspects.
At one community meeting, Lt. Greg Galiano presented SPD’s draft proposal for this year’s request for military equipment, seeking approval for purchasing equipment with an estimated cost of $361,000.
“Most of this equipment is not going to reduce crime; that’s not the purpose of it,” Galiano said. “And when you look at the numbers, we don’t use it that frequently.”
Galiano said the use of military equipment such as armored vehicles and the Rook, helps ensure officers’ safety.
“Some of these pieces of equipment … they protect our officers from gunfire and I find value in that,” Galiano said.
Other equipment such as pepper balls and beanbag rounds can prevent a deadly encounter or use of force, Galiano said.
“If it prevents one deadly encounter or prevents us from having to use force on one individual, then I think that price tag is appropriate,” Galiano said.
Police Review Commission member Keyan Bliss, who experienced SPD’s use of military equipment during the George Floyd protests in 2020, disagreed.
“In those months I witnessed police using overwhelming force against protesters that were peaceful by and large,” Bliss said.
Bliss saw police using shotguns with beanbag rounds, flash-bang grenades and tear gas to try to push back crowds. He saw them wearing full body armor against unarmed protesters.
“I saw them chase people down K Street who were running for safety,” Bliss said.
Police came to Sacramento mayoral hopeful Dr. Flojaune Cofer’s door in April 2022 informing her that shots were fired in the area.
Officers first responded to someone “who may have fired a gun” around 11:15 a.m. in the South Sacramento area in what would become an 18-hour standoff, ABC10 reported.
Police told ABC10 that crisis negotiators and a SWAT team were brought in.
Without providing more information, Sacramento police then asked Cofer if she wanted to leave her home or stay.
“All my neighbors were saying ‘Oh, my god, there’s a tank rolling down my street,’” Cofer said.
She saw SPD block off 58th Street while deploying flash grenades. Police drove an armored vehicle through her neighborhood throughout the night.
“Here come the tanks and then they have helicopters,” Cofer said. “Then they’re throwing flash grenades. All night they were doing this.”
Without police providing updates, Cofer decided to sleep in her bathtub for safety. By morning, police and the barricade were gone.
“No one ever bothered to update us again,” Cofer said. “No one came back to tell us it was over … nothing.”
Cofer, who went to one of the public meetings, said she doesn’t see a good reason for most military equipment. She also said if she were on the City Council, she would not approve the purchase of equipment such as the Rook before knowing how it would be used.
“There was no clear rationale for needing it,” Cofer said.
One common theme the public expressed was the need to provide the commission with resources to have more meetings on other police department policies. Another concern was the need for an independent oversight body for the use of military equipment. Such oversight currently is the City Council’s domain, according to SPD.
“Right now the only oversight the military equipment use policy has is through the department’s internal affairs division,” Bliss said.
He said the law requires an outside oversight body.
“The SPD considers the City Council the gov
erning body,” Bliss said.
The City Council will vote on SPD’s policy for military equipment by Sept. 13.