Council Approves $174,752 for SWAT and Conditional Drone Work

The Beverly Hills City Council approved up to $174,752 from the Asset Forfeiture Fund on October 20 for SWAT training and equipment and conditional rooftop construction associated with drone towers.

The Council adopted Item E-22 as part of its consent calendar on a 4-0 vote. Councilmembers Rebecca Pynoos, Sharona Nazarian and Lester Friedman and Vice Mayor Mary Wells voted yes; Mayor Craig Corman was absent. The motion and roll call appear in the official regular-meeting recording.

The October 20 report from Police Chief Max Subin divides the amount into $100,000 for rooftop drone-tower construction, $50,000 for a third-party SWAT assessment and standardized training, $20,000 for ammunition, and $4,752 for force-on-force equipment and marker rounds.

Police officials said the spending would support firearms qualifications and tactical training during the 2026-27 fiscal year. The independent assessment would evaluate SWAT capabilities and identify training needs for team members, including supervisors.

The $100,000 construction allocation remains conditional. It does not approve a particular tower location or construction contract. Staff must define locations, construction scope, structural and permitting requirements and final costs through the applicable city review and procurement processes.

The report distinguishes Treasury asset-forfeiture sharing funds, which permit qualifying law enforcement facility construction and improvements, from Department of Justice sharing funds, which prohibit those uses. Staff must confirm a permissible funding source or return to the Council for alternative funding before committing the construction expenditure.

Finance reported sufficient uncommitted balances in Fund 326. No General Fund appropriation was requested. Spending must comply with the applicable forfeiture rules and cannot replace existing funding.

The appropriation authorizes funding within those limits. It does not replace required purchasing, contract or construction approvals, or establish that any equipment has been purchased or any drone-tower work completed.