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LA sheriff's deputies to start wearing body-worn cameras to county jails
A West Valley City, Utah, patrol officer operates his body camera. LASD is bringing them to county jails for the first time.
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George Frey
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Getty Images
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Topline:
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna is introducing body-worn cameras in jails for the first time. The Sheriff's Department says the move is designed to enhance safety, accountability and transparency.
Why it matters: The Sheriff's Department says body-worn cameras provide additional information during public interactions and increases the ability to reduce criminal and civil liability. The cameras also will allow officers to collect evidence for use in criminal investigations and prosecutions. According to the LASD, research has shown that when officers are outfitted with body cameras, citizen complaints decrease, use-of-force incidents decrease, subject behavior improves and transparency and public trust are enhanced.
Why now: Luna said body-worn cameras started Oct. 1 at the Men's Central Jail, Twin Towers Correctional Facility, the Inmate Reception Center and Century Regional Detention Facility. He added that more than 1,000 personnel have been trained on the cameras, and the department is training 7,200 additional employees each week.
The backstory: In September, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the state was suing Los Angeles County and the Sheriff's Department over conditions inside the jail system. The suit claimed inmates lacked basic access to clean water and edible food and lived in facilities that were infested with rats and roaches. At that point, Bonta said there had been 36 deaths in jails in 2025 and 205 deaths over the past four years. The Sheriff's Department responded by insisting progress has been made in improving jail conditions and in meeting requirements of four existing federal settlement agreements relating to the jails.
What's next: Luna said the department will be rolling out body-worn cameras to the jail at the Pitchess Detention Center, the L.A. County General Medical Center Jail ward and all other custody support units.
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