Laserfiche WebLink
Mayor Amezcua requested clarification regarding incidents where equipment was <br />deployed and categorized as a force option in the report, whether the department <br />had received any community complaints or noted any loss of life related to the use <br />of equipment, and under what circumstances an armored vehicle could be <br />deployed. She echoed Councilmember Lopez's comments regarding accessibility <br />for future community meetings and requested translators be available in Spanish <br />and Vietnamese. She spoke in support of the item and thanked the Santa Ana <br />Police Department for their service. <br />Commander Sorenson clarified the data is based on deployment versus <br />employment, such as incidents where rifles were removed from vehicles or <br />deployed during a SWAT call but not used as a force option. He confirmed the <br />department had not received any community complaints and there had been no <br />loss of life due to the equipment. He provided an example of using a high-speed <br />pursuit intervention to block an individual and safely ending the pursuit without <br />endangering the community. <br />Councilmember Lopez requested clarification regarding the most recent report <br />covering May 2024 to April 2025 and not including data from the month of May, <br />while previous reports (May 2023—May 2023 and May 2023—May 2024) did. She <br />asked why the reported cost of military equipment has remained the same each <br />year in the data. <br />Commander Sorenson stated there was a misprint in the report and clarified the <br />data covers the periods of May 1, 2022 — May 1, 2023; May 1, 2023 April 30, <br />2024; and May 1, 2024 — April 30, 2025. He explained when the report was printed, <br />"April" was listed instead of "May, " and confirmed the data reflects the full month of <br />April, not May. He noted that future reports should display the periods as May 1 — <br />April 30, explained annual costs, and stated the department has not ordered any <br />new military equipment. <br />Mayor Pro Tem Vazquez stated the City should prioritize investing in youth <br />programs and community sports rather than the police department and its <br />equipment. <br />MOTION: Councilmember Phan moved to approve the recommended action <br />for Item No. 10, seconded by Councilmember Bacerra. <br />The motion carried, 4-3, by the following roll call vote: <br />AYES: COUNCILMEMBER BACERRA, COUNCILMEMBER <br />PENALOZA, COUNCILMEMBER PHAN„ MAYOR AMEZCUA <br />NOES: COUNCiLMEMBER HERNANDEZ, COUNCILMEMBER <br />LOPEZ, MAYOR PRO TEM VAZQUEZ <br />ABSTAIN: NONE <br />ABSENT: NONE <br />Status: 4 — 3 -- Pass <br />CITY COUNCIL 12 AUGUST 19, 2025 <br />