Richmond police present 2025 AB41 report: 15 drones, 82 rifles and 766 DFR deployments; community raises concerns about militarization, costs and privacy

Captain John Lopez, who oversees patrol operations for the Richmond Police Department, presented the agency's 2025 annual military equipment use report at a June 5 community engagement meeting and walked attendees through the inventory, policy, operational use data and projected costs.

Lopez said the report covers Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, and is presented under state AB41 transparency rules. "The phrase 'military equipment' can raise understandable questions or concerns," he said, "but it does not mean that the equipment came from the military and it does not mean that the equipment is used for a military purpose." He told the audience the report was posted May 14, 2026, and will be reviewed by the Richmond City Council on June 16.

The report lists year‑end inventory and consumable quantities, including 15 unmanned aerial systems (UAS), one tactical robot, one mobile command center, four Remington 870 breaching shotguns (325 breaching rounds), 82 patrol rifles with 50,000 .223 rounds and 5,000 .308 rounds, 120 diversionary devices and about 700 chemical/pepper/smoke units. Lopez described authorized uses and training requirements for each category and stressed that some statutory categories (MRAPs, 50‑caliber weapons) do not apply to Richmond.

Operational data in the report distinguished DFR (Drone as a First Responder) from other UAS missions. The department reported 166 operational uses of AB41‑covered equipment excluding DFR, and 104 non‑DFR UAS deployments. Separately, the DFR program recorded 766 deployments in 2025 after the program's expansion under a contract amendment; operational DFR deployments began in May and were highest in June and July. Lopez said the department reported 333 patrol‑rifle "deployments" during the 2025 period under a new tracking process (a deployment can mean the rifle was made available for potential use, not fired or necessarily displayed).

On fiscal matters, the report lists $405,425 in military‑equipment‑related expenditures for 2025, with key drivers identified as the Drone as a First Responder program ($299,454) and UAS expenditures ($46,128). The report includes projected training costs for 2026 (SWAT training estimated at $546,163; patrol rifle program $53,498; sniper team training $96,837; and DFR startup costs for a full‑time officer of $81,685).

Lopez summarized policy updates proposed after city council direction, including an amendment clarifying Richmond does not own an armored rescue vehicle but may request mutual‑aid armored support under defined circumstances; any assisting agency operates its vehicle under its own policy. He also described revisions to the UAS policy manual to incorporate DFR operations and privacy protections and emphasized that operators should avoid recording locations where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Residents and community members pressed the department during a lengthy question‑and‑answer period. Julie, a Richmond resident, said: "There is a real cost to the trust with the community and law enforcement when we start to see military weapons in our communities." She asked why patrol rifles were used in an officer‑involved shooting involving a person armed with knives. Lopez acknowledged the seriousness of such incidents and said policy reviews and external investigations occur for officer‑involved shootings.

Several residents asked for injury and death counts tied to deployments and for the incident log to include more detail about racial, age and location patterns. A number of attendees said the report's data show deployments disproportionately affected Black, Brown and younger residents, and urged the city to consider reallocating funds to social services rather than equipment and training. Fox K told Lopez, "I have a hard time going to sleep at night" given the demographics and costs shown in the report.

Community members also pushed for clarity around the DFR program and the contractor Flock. Lopez said the department is auditing the Flock contract, monitoring IT and transparency portal controls, and anticipates the contract runs through December; he said an RFP process for alternatives is underway and that the department is being "vigilant" about security and immigrant‑community protections.

The report includes a notable incident summary for Aug. 4, 2025, when Richmond officers responded to a residence and an officer‑involved shooting occurred; the report notes a patrol rifle carbine categorized under AB41 was deployed during that incident and that the Contra Costa district attorney's office protocol was invoked.

Lopez said the report documented zero formal complaints and zero identified policy violations tied to military equipment during 2025, and he described an incident log included in the public materials that lists general locations and available demographic data while seeking to balance transparency and privacy.

The department closed by asking community members to submit questions via the AB41 email or phone listed in the report and said the meeting record and addendum will be provided to city council ahead of the June 16 review. Lopez said council will determine whether authorization for each equipment category should continue, be amended or be revoked.