The Stockton Police Department has approval to acquire more than $2 million in additional military equipment.
Stockton City Council unanimously approved the acquisition at its meeting last week, where police presented the department’s annual military equipment report, which estimates current and future costs for the department’s military equipment to be about $3.23 million, with $1 million having been spent on maintenance, supplies and training in 2025, and over $2 million being allocated for future acquisitions.
California’s Assembly Bill 481, signed into law in 2021, requires law enforcement agencies to obtain local approval before acquiring, funding or using certain military equipment and to submit annual reports detailing how it is used. These reports must include information on inventory, costs, complaints, policy violations, audits and planned acquisitions.
Some of the requested equipment includes nine additional drones with charging stations, a mobile command center, a Bomb Squad truck and a Lenco BearCat armored vehicle equipped with an attachment that emits tear gas.
A police official at the meeting said continued access to this equipment helps officers de-escalate dangerous situations, preserve life and protect public safety. No immediate dates were provided for the launch or release of these tools.
“Recognizing the dynamic nature of law enforcement, we proactively explore and invest in innovative tools and technologies,” Lieutenant Brandon Ezell said. “The commitment to staying updated with the latest advancements enables our officers to respond to a diverse range of situations with heightened efficiency and minimized risk.”
The motion to approve 2025 spending and authorize 2026 acquisitions passed 7-0 following an approximately 12 minute presentation from the Stockton Police Department. There was no discussion on the police’s presentation, either from the public or council, other than Vice Mayor Jason Lee voicing his support for the city’s police department.
“This is a tool,” Lee said. “I’m in support of our department providing whatever resources we need to have a safer Stockton.”
Drones
The department expanded its drone program by adding three new drones in 2025, bringing its total fleet to 24, plus the additional nine approved for purchase at Tuesday’s meeting. Police used drones 1,236 times in 2025, up from 1,059 uses in 2024 and 642 in 2023, according to reports. Drones are the most utilized military equipment by Stockton police, primarily used to search for suspects, assist SWAT operations, serve warrants, locate missing persons, support search and rescue missions, investigate suspicious devices and monitor illegal sideshows, the department says.
The agency spent $42,846 on three new DJI Matrice 4TD drones in 2025. Training costs associated with the drones totaled $84,282, while maintenance and software licensing costs were approximately $38,500. The nine additional drones to be purchased in 2026 will be split between the current program and a planned Drone First Responder Program, according to the report. Each drone is estimated to cost about $15,000, totaling $135,000.
Armored Vehicles
The department currently has one Lenco BearCat armored vehicle that it acquired in 2012, which has been used during incidents involving armed or barricaded suspects, high-risk warrant service and rescue operations. Police deployed the vehicle 127 times in 2025, down from 146 times in 2024.
On Tuesday, the department said they anticipate acquiring a replacement BearCat at an estimated cost of $530,000 with $10,000 for yearly maintenance, as well as a Rook armored vehicle designed for tactical operations and reaching structures the BearCat can’t access. The vehicle will cost about $478,640 and is dependent on the availability of grant funding, the report says.
The police department plans to acquire a gas injector attachment for the new BearCat armored vehicle. The system would allow officers to deploy tear gas canisters into structures or vehicles from a protected position when approaching on foot is considered too dangerous. The attachment has an estimated cost of $14,552 with no expected maintenance costs.
The department is also seeking a Humvee through the federal LESO 1033 surplus program at no acquisition cost. The BearCat, Rook and Humvee have appeared in the department’s acquisition plans since its first report in 2023, though the reports don’t explain why the equipment has been repeatedly approved but not yet acquired.
Mobile Command and Bomb Squad Vehicles
Police used mobile command and support vehicles 102 times in 2025 for crisis negotiations, SWAT operations, homicide investigations, suspicious device calls and major incident management, the report shows. Training costs for these vehicles totaled $103,483 in 2025, while annual maintenance costs were estimated at $24,000.
The council approved the replacement of the police department’s aging Mobile Command Post vehicle with a new command and control vehicle estimated to cost around $2 million, with annual maintenance costs of roughly $50,000. The department also anticipates replacing the agency’s Bomb Squad truck with a new vehicle estimated to cost around $300,000, according to the presentation. Similar to the armored vehicles, these vehicles have also been approved for acquisition since 2023 but have not materialized.
Weapons and Munitions
Lieutenant Ezell said the department is committed to advancing staff expertise with de-escalation, firearms, less lethal devices and technology by regularly training with the equipment. He said this helps officers improve their confidence and decision-making.
“To accomplish this goal, we must constantly train with these devices. We anticipate the expenditure of $250,000 in specialty ammunition, less than .50 caliber, to ensure proficiency,” Ezell said. “Proficiency builds confidence, confidence allows us to slow down and make the right decisions when they matter the most.
Although the department reported no authorized uses of its Category 10 specialized firearms in 2025, the report shows it spent $19,980 on replacement weapons, $212,739 on ammunition and approximately $200,000 on training, totaling more than $432,000. The department notified the council of plans to replace at least 11 specialty rifles in 2026 at a projected cost of $22,000.
Additionally, the council approved a $77,000 purchase of 25 PepperBall TAC-SA launcher systems, with an anticipated annual restocking cost of $40,000 for Category 12 munitions such as pepperballs, tear gas and flashbangs. Category 12 equipment was reportedly used 80 times in 2025, with $32,190 spent on training and $26,200 on restocking costs.
The report says maintenance and supply costs of any newly acquired equipment are included in the police department’s 2026-27 budget, and plans to seek grants or other funding sources to help pay for anticipated purchases and related expenses. The only equipment reported to be funded by external sources is the Humvee as part of the LESO 1033 Program and a $41,213 LRAD, or long-range acoustic device, that the report says has been funded through a grant program but has not been purchased.
Compared to the 2024 Military Equipment Report, 2025 expenses increased by $123,470.
All military equipment reports can be found on Stockton’s transparency webpage.