The Los Angeles Post

Update on the Implementation of Body-Worn Cameras by the LA County Sheriff’s Department

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Board Anticipates Rollout by Mid-July

The rollout of the body-worn camera program that will ensure greater accountability of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is on target for mid-to-late July, following months of collaborative efforts between the County and the Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff’s Department will be able to equip 5,200 deputies and security officers with devices over the next two years utilizing the nearly $35 million that the Board of Supervisors set aside last year specifically dedicated for this program.

The Los Angeles County Internal Services Department has been working with representatives from the Sheriff’s Department on the solicitation and negotiations with proposed vendors since October 2019. During that time, both departments worked closely to review various proposals and onboard the selected vendor to supply the Department with the long-awaited cameras and technology to support this program. Thus far, the Sheriff’s Department has received approximately $8 million dollars to begin the infrastructure work needed at the patrol stations designated for the initial rollout.

The Board of Supervisors has prioritized greater transparency and accountability from the Sheriff’s Department for several years, developing key policy initiatives and identifying appropriate funding and staffing to allow for the swift implementation and operation of the body-worn camera program. The Board’s history of steadfast support in making this program a reality included the following:

  • Approved a motion authored by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas to implement the recommendations on the need to curb excessive uses of force (which included the use of body-worn cameras) as part of the Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence in 2012. The Board also approved subsequent motions.
  • Enlisted the help of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in September, 2015 for a detailed analysis of the proposed body-worn camera policy prompting the County to begin a lengthy process of assessing the cost of such a program.
  • Directed the Sheriff to implement the body-worn camera program and appointed the OIG to monitor implementation in September, 2019.
  • Engaged the OIG and Civilian Oversight Commission (COC) to give specific feedback to update and strengthen policies that would enhance the use and efficacy of body-worn Cameras, such as the review and release of camera footage.

The Civilian Oversight Commission and the Inspector General have also given specific feedback and recommendations to the Sheriff’s on how to improve the proposed policies on body-worn cameras, around topics such as the reviewing and releasing of camera footage, aimed at bolstering community trust in this new technology. These issues remain unaddressed.

Once the implementation takes effect next month, the Sheriff’s Department will have the responsibility to roll out body-worn cameras with monitoring and input from both the OIG and COC.

The Board is grateful that after many years of persistent effort, body worn cameras will be implemented by the LA Sheriff’s Department.