Cathedral City Police held its annual Military Equipment Use Report community engagement meeting on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. in the Community Development Conference Room on the 1st Floor of City Hall. The meeting, required by California Assembly Bill 481, gave community members an opportunity to review CCPD’s 2025 use of specialized equipment and ask questions about its funding, acquisition, and deployment.
About AB 481
California Assembly Bill 481, signed into law on September 30, 2021, requires law enforcement agencies to obtain approval from their local governing body for the use of military equipment and to report annually to the public. The Cathedral City Council approved CCPD’s military equipment program in April 2022.
2025 Military Equipment Use Highlights
CCPD participates in the Desert Regional SWAT team alongside Palm Springs Police and Indio Police. When the team activates for a critical incident or special event, SWAT officers from each agency assist in the city where the incident occurs.
Key activity for 2025:
- Desert Regional SWAT responded to three critical incidents in Cathedral City, ranging from search warrants for armed attempted murder suspects to an illegal assault weapons manufacturing case.
- CCPD supported three community functions and two special events within Cathedral City.
- CCPD assisted partnering agencies with five critical incidents and four special events outside Cathedral City, plus the Coachella Music Festival and Stagecoach Music Festival.
- Officers deployed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs/drones) 143 times for search and rescue, suspect searches, search warrants, SWAT support, crime scene documentation, and calls for service in the south hills of Cathedral City.
- SWAT deployed one Noise Flash Diversion Device (NFDD) during a search warrant for a weapons manufacturing case. All other devices were used in training only.
- Officers carried less-lethal 40mm devices throughout the year but fired no 40mm projectile rounds.
- SWAT used no tear gas outside of training.
Compliance and Complaints
CCPD recorded no unauthorized use of military equipment in 2025. All deployments stayed within scope, met policy requirements, and served their intended purpose. The department received no complaints from the public regarding the use of military equipment during the calendar year.
Equipment Inventory
CCPD’s current military equipment inventory includes unmanned aerial vehicles, explosive breaching tools, assault weapons as defined under California Penal Code §§ 30510 and 30515, flashbang grenades, tear gas munitions, a command-and-control vehicle, 40mm projectile launchers, bean bag launchers, and rubber bullet launchers. Each category serves specific operational purposes — primarily resolving critical incidents that exceed the capabilities of standard patrol equipment and providing less-lethal options when appropriate.
Full Report
The complete 2025 Military Equipment Annual Use Report is available here: CCPD 2025 Military Equipment Annual Use Report (PDF)
Mission Statement
The Cathedral City Police Department remains committed to its mission of providing the community with progressive and professional police services dedicated to ensuring public order, a sense of community well-being, and responsiveness with integrity and excellence.
