San Francisco's Police Department has failed to comply with a state law governing the use of military equipment, even though the law was written by its city attorney, David Chiu.

The lack of compliance this week prompted two supervisors to call on the department to fulfill its legal obligations.

The law, AB 481, applies to all California police agencies. It was passed in February 2021, shortly after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, leading millions of people to protest nationwide.

Written by Chiu while he was a state Assembly member, the law requires that police agencies submit an annual inventory of their military equipment, a term that encompasses 15 categories, including drones, robots, armored vehicles, tear gas and pepperballs. Departments must also hold a public meeting within 30 days of submitting the list, so that citizens can ask questions and comment on policing policies.

When he proposed AB 481, Chiu connected it to the ways in which law enforcement responded to the Floyd protests. In some instances, protestors and journalists were seriously injured, and Chiu said he hoped the measure would help rebuild community trust in law enforcement by increasing oversight, transparency and giving "residents a voice" in how they are policed.

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