Antioch will look for alternative to military surplus tactical vehicle

The Antioch Police Department's armored rescue vehicle — originally produced to help troops survive explosives set off in Iraq and Afghanistan — will stay on the force until an alternative can be found.

Though no formal action was taken on Tuesday because no resolution was included in the agenda packets, the consensus among Antioch City Council members was to decommission the surplus Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, find an alternative and craft a policy on its use.

The demilitarization of the force was one of the police reform goals the council set in 2021. In March of that year, the council agreed the city would no longer accept surplus military equipment for its police department. Later that year, Assembly Bill 481, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, would require law enforcement agencies to establish policies and obtain approvals from their governing bodies for military and military-style equipment.

On Tuesday, Mayor Lamar Thorpe said he didn't think the police department needed the MRAP, a position he took two years ago as well.

"There are alternatives to that tank, and I know that the (police) chief is open to that because we had that conversation, but I’m open to looking at some of those and he has looked at some of those," Thorpe said. "I don't think we need this, as the MRAP was designed for something completely different. It was not designed for the streets of Antioch. Police officers don't get trained with MRAPs."

The mayor added that "the look" of such militarized equipment was bad, alluding to the ongoing FBI investigation, which has revealed that dozens of Antioch officers had communicated using racist, homophobic and sexist text messages and memes, sometimes making light of on-duty violence or talking about adding fake confessions to arrest reports. The texts came to light during an investigation begun earlier for crimes of potential civil rights violations involving police violence and dog bites, drug sales, false confessions and more.

"I just don't agree that it looks good, in terms of the type of police department we’re trying to build and where we need to go," he said. "I think there's just no room for militarized equipment on our streets. … I hope the council can agree to that, because I think we need an alternative to the tank."

Police Lt. Joseph Vigil, who gave a report to the City Council on the department's military equipment use for 2022, agreed.

"Yes, we would like to look at an alternative, too, that being where we are right now in society and moving into the 21st century," Vigil told the council. "We’d like a piece of equipment that reflects that. So if council is open to us entertaining that, we would very much like to do so."

Councilmember Mike Barbanica, a former Pittsburg police officer, suggested assigning a couple of councilmembers to look into alternatives, but the mayor said the police department could handle it.

"If the council is looking at getting rid of the vehicle, there are armored vehicles that have a purpose to keep officers and our community safe," Barbanica said.

Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker agreed that the city didn't need a militarized vehicle like the MRAP, but acknowledged that some sort of protected vehicle was needed to keep the public safe, especially in hostage situations. It will come at a cost, however, she noted.

"A lot of armored car manufacturers based around police-specific vehicles have grant programs and financial assistance," he said. "We will be willing to explore every option in the best interest of the city and the community."

In nearby Brentwood, the City Council months earlier unanimously agreed to spend $367,907 for a non-military grade armored vehicle – its first ever – after police spoke out about how it can help protect officers and others during crisis situations. The money for the ARV — a Lenco MedEvac G2 — would come from the department's operating budget.

Military equipment was first authorized by Congress to be transferred to local law enforcement agencies in 1989 as part of an effort to fight the war on drugs. But after the militarized response to Black Lives Matter protests in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, President Barack Obama signed an executive order restricting what could be given to local and state agencies, including tanks and grenade launchers. That action, however, was rescinded by President Donald Trump in 2017.

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