Brentwood police defend use of military equipment

By Jeff Weisinger Staff Writer

Brentwood police held a community meeting Tuesday to explain to the public why they’re spending money on and using military equipment – even if the community did not show up.

“We are a small town,” Brentwood police Chief Tim Herbert told a crowd of no one. “But we have big-city problems every now and again, and you have to be able to address a big-city problem in a small town with big-city resources. That’s the key and you never know when it’s going to happen.”

The explanation of what was used and what the department is asking for not only in accordance with Assembly Bill 481 and Brentwood Police Policy. The state law requires law enforcement agencies to report to and obtain approval of the applicable governing body (City Council), of any use of military equipment.

According to the presentation from Herbert, last year Brentwood police used drones, Colt AR-15 M4 assault ri- fles, 40mm rounds, CS (Chlorobenzylidene malononitrile) gas, or tear gas, and a stinger CS gas grenade.

“We’re in the profession of ‘We’re damned if we do, damned if we don’t,’” Herbert said.

“We’ve had to rely on incidents where we’ve had to rely on other agencies to utilize their equipment,” said officer Mitch Brouillette of the Brentwood police SWAT team. “We need those things in our community to have access to not have to rely on someone else, to try and be as self-sufficient as possible.”

Military equipment was used in three incidents last year, all for search warrants, police said. Despite military equipment being used, Brentwood police reported that there were no public concerns or complaints regarding the equipment, and there were no internal investigations about the department’s use of the equipment.

This year, the department is asking for new ammunition rounds, flashbangs, and new AR-15/M4s that are labeled as “enhanced patrol rifles.”

“The (old) patrol rifles, I’m going to replace them,” Herbert said about the request for the new rifles. Herbert said his request for the rifles is because the old ones can’t fit new optics on them for drastic situations.

“If I can get the advantage to the point where (Brentwood police) have a better advantage over the bad guy, then why wouldn’t I get that, right?”

“A lot of these items are types of things where you use it and it’s gone.”

The department approached City Council with almost the same report last year, while then-police Chief Tom Hansen asked for a $380,000 armored rescue truck back in August.

“I can’t see us not purchasing this,” then-Councilmember Karen Rarey said at the time. “It’s a no -brainer for our community.”

Not only was the request cleared, it was fully supported by both the Council and the community, according to Herbert.

Herbert’s effort for transparency within the department comes at a time of distrust between the police and see Equipment page 12

For print, email your events to calendar@brentwoodpress.com one week prior to publication. For online, post your events for free on The Press Community Calendar www.thepress.net/calendar.

This Week’s Events

Saturday, April 29

Louisiana Crawfish Boil

The Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building at 757 First St. is hosting a crawfish boil. Doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner starts at 6. The event will also feature baskets that will be raffled off. Tickets are $40 per person with limited availability. The fundraiser will go to support their veterans outreach programs as well as the group’s plans to build an outside patio. For more information, call (925) 437-9536 or email bvmb2023@gmail.com

Cruisin’ with Christ Car Show

All God’s Children Christian School and the Delta Presbyterian Church are hosting a car show from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The event will include awards, raffles, food trucks, local vendors, photo opportunities and music. Entry is a $50 donation, and the first 30 entries will receive gift bags. For more information, contact Michelle Jones at 707-7047215 or email mjones.agccarshow@gmail.com. To register your vehicle, visit https://bit.ly/3A625lG

Retro Summer Block Party

The Oakley Youth Advisory Council is hosting the first summer block party at 6 p.m. at Civic Center Plaza at 3231 Main St. The event will feature games like giant Jenga and cornhole, and music. The original Jumanji film will begin when it gets dark. For more information, call (925) 625-7041.

Arbor

Day Celebration

The city of Brentwood is hosting an Arbor Day celebration in Miwok Park near Regal Drive from 9 a.m.-noon. Residents are invited to sign-up to plant trees, spread mulch and pick up trash. For more information and to register, visit https://bit. ly/3GLLsiU

Free Shred it Day

The St. Anne Council Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a free shred it day from 9 a.m.-noon in the St. Anne Chapel parking lot at 2800 Camino Diablo. The event is a free and safe way to destroy old tax returns, legal documents, canceled checks or any other sensitive documents.

On the Horizon

Friday, May 5 City of Oakley Concerts in the Park

The city of Oakley is featuring concerts in the park in May in partnership with their Friday Night Bites event from 5-9 p.m. in Civic Center Plaza at 3231 Main St. The band featured is The Real Thang Band. For more information about the concert, contact Alicia at (925) 625-7044 or email: oleary@ ci.oakley.ca.us.

Looking for more things to do?

Saturday, May 6

Oakley Senior Center Car Show

The Oakley Senior Center is hosting their annual car show at 215 Second St. from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The event showcases antique and collector cars, trucks and motorcycles. Ribbons and awards will be given for Best of Show. For more information and to register, call 925-626-7223.

Sunday, May 7

Brentwood Literary Stroll

The Friends of the Brentwood Library is hosting a literary stroll from 1-4 p.m. in downtown Brentwood. The event features several authors from different restaurants and businesses throughout downtown. Check-in tables will be at the corner of First and Chestnut streets and on the corner of Second and Oak streets. Tickets are $5, and can be purchased at https://bit.ly/3MPH9GR.

Tuesday, May 9

4th Annual East Bay Business Expo and Job Fair

The Brentwood Chamber of Commerce and the city of Brentwood are hosting their annual East Bay Business Expo and Job Fair at the Brentwood Community Center at 35 Oak St. The free event starts at 4 p.m. and will feature raffles, giveaways, free food and a wine tasting. For more information, call (925) 634-3344 or go to https://bit.ly/40CIJz4.

Wednesday, May 10

Senior Health and Wellness Expo

Cogir of Brentwood at 150 Cortona Way and the Laura Nelson Real Estate Team is hosting a health and wellness expo for seniors from 10 a.m.-noon. The expo will include informational resources from Suncrest Hospice, which will provide blood pressure checks, Med Solutions, who will provide walker and wheelchair checks, the Brentwood Police Department, Bass Medical, The Contra Costa Hearing Aid Center, The Key Hom Care, Kaleidoscope, Family Matters and Accent care Home Health. The event will feature giveaways and snacks. For more information, contact Edrienne Baebler at ebaebler@cogirusa.com or (619) 339-3474.

Thursday, May 11

2nd Annual Whiskey Walk

The Rotary Club of Brentwood is hosting their annual Whiskey Walk at De Luna Ranch at 7540 Balfour Road from 6-8 p.m. The event will feature a variety of whiskey tastings, including some from local distilleries, along with music, food, and raffle and door prizes. All proceeds from this event will go to support scholarships in our local schools. Tickets are $70 and include five tastings. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https:// bit.ly/40CJHvc.

Friday, May 12

Mamapalooza

The Downtown Brentwood Coalition and the Tracy Nelson Team is hosting the Mother’s Day- inspired event Mamapalooza in downtown Brentwood from 6-9 p.m. The event will feature live music, photo opportunities, giveaways and raffles and will have 17 participating stops. Tickets are $10. For more information and to purchase tickets visit https://bit.ly/3GPp1cl

Saturday, May 13

Rotary Club of Oakley Foundation Gala 2023

The Oakley Club of Rotary is hosting their fourth annual gala at La Grande Estates at 1799 Carpenter Road from 5:30-10 p.m. The theme for this year’s gala is “An Evening Under the Stars.” The event will feature entertainment by DJ Brandon, raffles, a silent, live, and dessert auction, along with a door prize. Tickets are $65 and includes dinner and dancing. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http:// bit.ly/3KrKsmc

Denim & Diamonds:

2nd Annual Ladies’ Luncheon

Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church is hosting their annual ladies luncheon to benefit The Gabriel Project at St. Anthony Parish’s Padua Hall at 971 O’Hara Ave. from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The event will include a raffle, games and a contest for the best themed attire. The cost is $20 per person. For more information and to reserve a spot, contact Patty Loosli at (925) 348-6064 or Pattyfuloosli59@ comcast.com

Saturday, May 20

Los Vaqueros Reservoir

25th Anniversary Open House

The Contra Costa Water District is hosting a free open house for the Los Vaqueros Reservoir’s 25th anniversary from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Los Vaqueros Interpretive Center at 19 Walnut Blvd. The event will feature information on how Los Vaqueros operates, a shuttle trip to the top of the Los Vaqueros Dam, a nature hike, an augmented reality sandbox along with other family-friendly activities. For more information and to reserve a spot, visit http://bit.ly/3JYSp0E

Annual Kustoms and Klassics Car Show

The Discovery Bay Community Foundation is hosting their annual Kustoms and Klassics car show at the Marina Bar & Grill at 5879 Marina Road from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Special guest will be Erik Estrada, best known from the TV series CHIPs. Car show entry is $35. For more information and to register for the event, visit http://bit. ly/3zNcClt

Events

East County 4-H Club Meetings

Oakley: The Oakley 4-H Club has monthly meetings the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. For more information, email Amanda at oakley@contracosta.org. The Delta-Diablo 4-H Club has monthly meetings the second Thursday at 6:30 p.m at 3840 Brown Road in Oakley. For more information contact Megan and Tiffany at deltadiablo@ contracosta4h.org Brentwood: The Brentwood 4-H Club has monthly meetings the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m at the Knightsen Farm Center located on 3020 2nd Street. For more information, contact Angela at brentwood@ contracosta4h.org Knightsen: The Knightsen 4-H Club has monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m at Knightsen Elementary School located at 1923 Delta Road. 4-H members are girls and boys ages 5–19 years old.

East County Veteran Meetings

Brentwood: The American Legion Post 202 monthly meeting (on the second Wednesday of the month) is held at 6:30 p.m. at the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building at 757 First St. in Brentwood. The meeting is open to all U.S. Armed Services veterans. The organization encourages all veterans in East County to come and see what is available to them. For more information, visit https://www.aml202.org Oakley: The Veterans of Oakley monthly meeting (on the first Wednesday of each month) is held at 5:30 p.m. at the Oakley Senior Center on 215 2nd Street. For more information call 925-783-0818 or visit http://bit.ly/3mugBjv

Oakley Senior Center

Food Distribution

The Oakley Senior Center at 215 2nd St. gives out free food every Thursday from 1-2:30 p.m. Residents are asked to bring their own grocery bags.

East County Rotary Club Meetings

Brentwood: The Brentwood Rotary Club meets weekly on Monday at noon at the Wedgewood Banquet Center at 100 Summerset Drive in Brentwood. For more information, visit https:// www.brentwoodrotary94513.com Oakley: The Oakley Rotary Club meets weekly on Thursday at 7:30 a.m. at Black Bear Diner, 3201 Main St. in Oakley. For more information, visit http:// rotaryclubofoakley.com Antioch: The Antioch Rotary Club meets weekly on Thursday at noon at Lone Tree Golf Course & Event Center, 4800 Golf Course Road in Antioch. For more information, visit http://www.antiochrotaryclub.com/ The Rotary Club of the Delta meets weekly on Wednesday at 7 a.m. at Denny’s, 4823 Lone Tree Way in Antioch. For more information, visit https://www.rotaryclubofthedelta.org/.