The Long Beach Police Department has used military-grade equipment for years, but the City Council’s approval is now required by AB 481, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September 2021.
The funding includes major investments around the San Gabriel River and El Dorado Park, but activists say park-poor neighborhoods in other parts of the city are being short-changed.
The Long Beach mayor has earned himself many allies by letting others claim a share in his vision, often working behind the scenes to arrive at consensus, or, in critics' eyes, the safest political result.