1221 Oak St. Oakland
CA
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) is again seeking approval to increase ACSO’s stockpile of military equipment beyond what Sheriff Ahern had previously included in ACSO’s military equipment inventory.
On Thursday, the Board of Supervisors Public Protection Committee considers the sheriff’s proposal to acquire additional drones, ‘flashbang’ grenades, and ‘scattershot’ grenades and munitions.
“Scattershot” munitions are indiscriminately fired “less lethal” munitions that cannot be aimed because they are designed to spray or scatter projectiles. The sheriff wants to acquire more than 500 more of them, for an arsenal of over 1,000.
Such weapons are illegal to use by law enforcement for crowd control situations in California. They’ve been used against protesters in Oakland. Of course, these weapons are also very dangerous to use inside Santa Rita Jail. Testimony from prisoners in Santa Rita reveals that scattershot munitions – known inside as “bumblebees” – have been fired at mentally ill prisoners.
In June, Supervisor Elisa Marquez called on the sheriff to report on the sheriff’s use of munitions and chemical agents such as pepper spray over the last two years.
But given how dangerous and indiscriminate these weapons are, why should the sheriff possess them at all – much less acquire more? Amnesty International and Physicians for Human Rights have called for banning their use by law enforcement.
You can read more about how to craft your public comment, and more details about the sheriff’s proposal, here:
https://bit.ly/demilitarizeACSO
Please join us on Thursday, September 28 at 10am – in person or via zoom – at the Board of Supervisors Public Protection Meeting and call on the Supervisors to BAN scattershot munitions and grenades.
Connect to the meeting via zoom:
https://zoom.us/j/83246519903