Monterey County Grand Jury
• 2014-2015
Over-militarization of Local Police Departments:
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 8 findings
F1
The Salinas Police Department currently deploys its MRAP vehicle on all SWAT opera- tions, and during 2014 it was not used for any rescue, barricade, or hostage situations.
No recommendations for this finding
F2
The deployments of the Salinas Police Department’s SWAT team and the Monterey Penin- sula Regional SRU appear reasonably limited to potentially dangerous situations.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
Monterey Peninsula area and Salinas police departments have received only small num- bers of military surplus weapons or equipment from the Department of Defense.
No recommendations for this finding
F4
The Del Rey Oaks Police Department has a written policy governing the use and deploy- ment of its MRAP. All deployments will require prior approval by the Chief of Police.
No recommendations for this finding
F5
The Del Rey Oaks Police Department is not a member of the Monterey Peninsula Regional SRU, PRVNT, STOPP, or the County’s Mobile Field Force.
No recommendations for this finding
F6
The Del Rey Oaks Police Department’s MRAP is not likely to be requested by other local agencies for anything but a rare prolonged active shooter situation or a catastrophic natural disaster.
No recommendations for this finding
F7
Despite its limitations, the Del Rey Oaks Police Department’s MRAP would be more use- ful if Del Rey Oaks joins the Monterey Peninsula Regional SRU and participates in joint training exercises.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The MCCGJ recommends that the Del Rey Oaks Police Department become a member of the Monterey Peninsula Regional SRU.
F8
The problems noted in the American Civil Liberties Union’s 2014 report, in which they concluded that American policing has become “unnecessarily and dangerously milita- rized,” do not appear to be present in the Monterey area police departments reviewed by the MCCGJ or in the Salinas Police Department.
No recommendations for this finding
Agency Responses 2
Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.