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Antioch will no longer accept surplus military equipment

By KTVU staff
Published  March 25, 2021 7:44am PDT
Antioch
KTVU FOX 2

Antioch to stop acquiring surplus military gear

Antioch to stop acquiring surplus military gear

ANTIOCH, Calif. - Antioch will no longer accept surplus military equipment.

The Antioch City Council on Tuesday voted 4-1 to ban the police department from acquiring military gear from federal and state governments, as well as private groups.

The council says it wanted to reduce the militarization of police as part of the city's campaign for law enforcement reform.

However, the East Bay Times reports that the council agreed to let the department keep using the equipment it already has, including a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) light tactical vehicle. 

Earlier this month, the council unanimously approved a $1.4 million contract to purchase bodycams and in-car cameras for the city's police department. 

The five-year bodycam contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. was the leading proposal of Mayor Lamar Thorpe's platform of police reforms he brought before the council following the in-custody death of Angelo Quinto in December and another in-custody death in February.