Fresno City Council approves military equipment report despite community pushback

Residents argue the report lacks transparency and does not fully comply with state law

Mar. 27, 2026 at 12:04am

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The Fresno City Council unanimously approved the police department's 2025 Military Equipment Report despite concerns from some residents over its transparency and compliance with state law. The approval came one day after the department held the city's first-ever community engagement meeting about the military equipment in its possession, where most attendees asked for the report's approval to be delayed.

Why it matters

The approval of the military equipment report highlights ongoing tensions between the Fresno community and local law enforcement over the use of military-grade equipment. While the police department claims the report is about accountability, some residents argue it lacks transparency and does not fully comply with state law.

The details

Members of the advocacy group Fresnans for a People's Budget argued a community meeting should have been held every year since state law AB 481, which aims to increase transparency and accountability regarding the use of military-grade equipment, went into effect in 2022. The California law requires a community engagement meeting to be held annually by police on its yearly military equipment report, and the report must gain approval from its governing body. Fresno Deputy Police Chief Burke Farrah said community meetings were not held in prior years because the City Attorney's Office deemed City Council meetings sufficient. Some community members also said they would like to see the report include not just how often each kind of equipment was used, but also under what circumstances they were used and in what area of the city.

  • The Fresno City Council approved the police department's 2025 Military Equipment Report on March 27, 2026.
  • The department held the city's first-ever community engagement meeting about the military equipment on March 26, 2026, one day before the council's approval.

The players

Fresnans for a People's Budget (FPB)

An advocacy group that argued a community meeting should have been held every year since state law AB 481 went into effect in 2022.

Burke Farrah

Fresno Deputy Police Chief who said community meetings were not held in prior years because the City Attorney's Office deemed City Council meetings sufficient.

Arieana Castellanos

A mental health professional and member of FPB who said the city should be more transparent about its use of military equipment.

Mindy Casto

Fresno Police Chief.

Arias

A Fresno City Council member who said he did not think councilmembers needed to attend the community outreach meeting because they could ask their questions about the report to the police department officials directly at council meetings.

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What they’re saying

“There's not an opportunity at City Hall when this item is on the consent agenda; you can provide public comment, but we're not getting a dialogue as intended by law.”

— Arieana Castellanos, mental health professional and member of FPB

“This isn't about militarizing police; this is about accountability and to make sure we use this equipment correctly.”

— Burke Farrah, Fresno Deputy Police Chief

What’s next

Farrah said he would take the feedback he received to Chief Mindy Casto and the Fresno City Council, and is open to making adjustments in the future, including more public outreach and inviting the community to attend future meetings.

The takeaway

The approval of Fresno's military equipment report despite community concerns highlights the ongoing tensions between local law enforcement and residents over transparency and accountability in the use of military-grade equipment. This issue is likely to continue being a point of contention in the city.