A list of military weapons used by Fremont Police Department (FPD) was approved by the city council on May 5. The list was submitted as part of the Military Equipment Use Ordinance adopted in May 2022. It requires an annual report of military equipment used by FPD and a list of any additional equipment they want to use in the next year.
The seven listed weapons that have been used by the department the past year include rifles, 40 mm projectile launchers and unmanned aerial systems and ground vehicles, also known as drones and robots.
According to the staff report, the rifles are used on people who are heavily armed or are actively harming other people. The projectile launchers use material similar to foam. It’s an alternative to lethal force and is less likely to result in death or serious injury.
The equipment was used between April 2025 to March 2026. The department said there were no reported complaints or concerns about the weapons and they stated that they were not obtained by the military.
FPD also held a community engagement event where the public had a chance to look at the weapons and ask questions. That event was held on March 25, where police said 50 people attended. The department said there were no significant concerns raised during and after the event.
The department plans to buy a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD). It’s an audible broadcast system that sends voice commands during emergencies and when there are barricaded suspects. FPD said the decibel level or volume can be adjusted, and Lieutenant Veronica Rodrigues added that there will be an intensive training process on how to use the device.
Rodrigues also answered a couple more questions from a resident about the use of a SWAT vehicle and the use of drones with potential ties to a Chinese company. She said the SWAT vehicle they’re using now is an old one and they’re looking to replace it. As for the drones, their drill team is constantly reevaluating the need for drones and the potential link to Chinese companies.
FPD also plans to buy 30 baffled gas canisters, which are gas chemicals packed into an internal chamber and then dispersed after being thrown. They are used as pain compliance, temporary discomfort and incapacitation of violent and barricaded suspects. They would also be used to disperse riots and arrest dangerous suspects.
Councilmember Desrie Campbell asked if the devices are safer to use than the old ones. Lieutenant Bryan Hollifield said they were able to test the new ones in-person and found out there is a slightly less risk of fire. The department said they don’t have a date set on when they will purchase the devices.
