At the beginning of 2010, the Department recognized the importance of the developing technology of body-worn cameras.  The Department began the beginning stages of implementing a BWC program as a means of building trust and accountability within the communities they serve.  A Test and Evaluation (T&E) was conducted within the Custody Division to test body-worn cameras.  The T&E provided results that BWC technology was still in its early development and stationary cameras would better serve the custody environment.  The study concluded that the Department’s infrastructure was not viable for the implementation of BWCs in Custody.

On September 28^th, the Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence (Commission) submitted a report to the Board of Supervisors (Board). The Commission was tasked with conducting “a review of the nature, depth, and cause of the problem of inappropriate deputy use of force in the jails and to restore public confidence in the constitutional operation of our jails.” The report contained over 77 findings and 63 recommendations for reform. The most unique recommendation was the request to create an Office of Inspector General (OIG).

On October 16^th, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas submitted a motion on the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence. He moved to hire an implementation monitor to review the implementation of the 63 recommendations. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas requested the monitor be aided by a team of advisors and the implementation monitor report back to the Board on the status of the requested Recommendations of the Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence.

On November 2^nd, former Sheriff Leroy Baca submitted a Personal Video Recording Devices (PVRD) T&E report to the Board. The report served as a comprehensive evaluation of PVRD technology available to law enforcement agencies in the United States, and its legal and policy implications of a large scale deployment of PVRDs in a custody environment.

In 2013, the Department initiated a new study to explore the evolving technology for deployment within patrol operations.  After the research, the Department released a “Request for Information,” (Bid #RFI-IS-142001-1) for a no-cost T&E to test BWC equipment, DEMS, cloud-based storage solutions, and policy development.  Furthermore, the Department selected four different manufacturers’ products to test.  The products were tested between September  2014 and March of 2015.  One patrol station from each of the four Patrol Divisions participated in the T&E.  During this time, the Department dedicated three full-time personnel to develop expertise, examine the workload impacts of BWC and digital evidence, the costs of infrastructure assessments, the development of an implementation plan, and policy.

To share the information gathered about the development of the BWC program, BWC personnel and the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association (LACPCA) organized monthly meetings for all Los Angeles County law enforcement agencies.

On July 12^th, the Board requested former Sheriff McDonnell to report back, within 120 days, a plan to implement body-worn cameras in the shortest timeframe possible as well as how the digital evidence would be stored in a binary form.  The Board’s motion stated, “A plan [is needed] to implement body-worn cameras in the shortest timeframe possible and in a manner that makes the best use of partnerships with other agencies, including the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Office of Inspector General, the Public Defender, and the Alternate Public Defender.”

Within the 120 days, the Department organized a Countywide BWC Implementation Workgroup consisting of justice partners from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (LADA), Public Defender (PD), Alternate Public Defender (APD), Probation, Office of Inspector General, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CEO Chief Information Officer (CIO), Internal Services Department (ISD), Information Services Advisory Board (ISAB), County Counsel, Countywide Criminal Justice Coordination Committee (CCJCC), Superior Court and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).  The workgroup was divided into three separate subcommittees consisting of Fiscal, Technical, and Policy.  The groups first met on July 28^th, 2016, and met bi-weekly between August 11^th and October 6^th, 2016.

On November 8^th, the Information Systems Advisory Body (ISAB) director submitted a letter to the Board in response to the development of a plan to implement a strategy for a Countywide Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS).

In June, the Department submitted the BWC Implementation Plan.  This plan requested approximately $55 million in annual funding and an additional 239 personnel.  This cost was unmatched by any other law enforcement agency of equal size.  The request for additional personnel was largely due to two specific policy directions.

The first policy direction was to require investigators to review all BWC videos for all cases they were assigned to investigate.  The second was to provide a system to release any BWC video to the public, upon request.  Both of these policy directions were inconsistent with other law enforcement agencies in California.  This cost delayed funding for a BWC program, which caused the Board to pass an additional motion directing Sheriff McDonnell to hire an outside consultant to evaluate the Department’s BWC Implementation Plan.

The Sheriff’s Department response regarding the Chief Executive Officer’s recommendations related to the BWC program was issued on February 20, 2018. – PDF

On August 7th, the Board directed the CEO in consultation with the Sheriff, County Counsel, Office of Inspector General, and the Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Commission to engage a consultant to review and assess the previous County reports on BWCs and evaluate the Sheriff’s proposed policies, procedures, deployment plan, staffing and corresponding operational impact on the Department and the community.

Upon taking office in December 2018, Sheriff Villanueva convened a meeting with the Board, CEO, and BWC team to promise his commitment to deploying cameras in the most economical and expeditiously manner possible. This meeting initiated the support from the Board and CEO’s offices to expedite the implementation of the Department’s BWC Plan.

In January, the CEO hired an outside BWC consultant based off of a previous Board motion passed in August of 2018.  That motion directed the CEO to hire an outside consultant to review a previous BWC implementation plan submitted to the Board in June of 2017.  The Department began working with the consultant and CEO members to start the process of implementing the program.

In February, $2.1 million in funding was allocated to the Sheriff’s Department from the Provisional Financing Uses (PFU) to the Sheriff’s General Support Services budget unit, to fund computer and IT upgrades at five patrol stations.  This process was needed to meet current operational needs and prepare for additional patrol technology developments.  The decision was based on prior BWC program estimates based off of a recommendation from a report submitted from ISAB back in 2016.

On June 12^th, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) submitted their independent analysis, six months after initially hired by the County, in January of 2019.  The County asked IACP to validate LASD’s proposed BWC policies and procedures; reflect on organizational capabilities, national best practices, lessons learned by other agencies, and community stakeholder input; and include metrics to quantify the impact of BWCs on operations, workload, budget, civil claims, and the community.  Their findings concluded that “LASD and the County have the ability to ensure that the LASD program under consideration is implemented and operated in a manner that balances a multitude of interests and leverages the taxpayer investment in public safety.”

On August 30^th, the CEO submitted her analysis of Sheriff Villanueva’s proposed budget for the BWC program.

On September 24^th, the Board moved to approve the implementation of the BWC program and submitted revised recommendations, as well as set aside $32.7 million in the PFU budget unit.

On October 31^st, Internal Services Department (ISD) released the Request for Proposal (RFP) for BWC solicitation.  The solicitations were due to ISD on December 12, 2019.

On December 19^th, the Board approved a motion to provide $5.63 million dollars from the PFU account for the use of BWC program infrastructure upgrades.

This funding was allocated to upgrade the networks and infrastructure at the following stations: Compton Station, Carson Station, East Los Angeles Station, South Los Angeles Station, Lost Hills/Malibu Station, Altadena Station, Crescent Valley Station, Santa Clarita Station, Marina del Rey Station, and Avalon Station.

At the beginning of the year, the Department encumbered $3.87M towards this project. However, there were budgetary delays related to the County-wide impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 16th, the OIG wrote a third report on the implementation of BWC in Los Angeles County, summarizing the history of the plans previously implemented since 2019 and funds requested for implementation. The letter concluded that “implementing body-worn cameras is an immediate necessity. Having cameras and a robust policy for their use, data classification, and data storage will promote transparency and public trust.” The Inspector General also included that the implantation plan of BWCs will continue to be monitored.

On June 22nd, Sheriff Villanueva responded to the OIG’s third response on implementing body-worn cameras in Los Angeles County. His letter addressed concerns brought up by the OIG and acknowledged what the Department has done or will do to resolve it.

The Body Worn Camera Unit (BWCU) began training and deployment to patrol operations in October 2022. During the first month of deployment (October), five patrol stations were trained, with a patrol station represented from each Patrol Division (North, South, East, and Central). Training classes were held 4-5 times a week, with up to 60 personnel attending each class. Hundreds of personnel from all five stations, ranking from deputy sheriff to command staff, were trained in just thirty days. Monthly training continued, training approximately one station per month. During the first year of deployment, approximately 2,800 personnel were trained and issued BWC’s. Patrol operations are now fully deployed, with more than 4,000 BWC’s assigned to personnel across all patrol positions.

On August 12th, Sheriff Villanueva announced a five-year contract with Axon deploying 5,248 cameras to all field deputies Department-wide.

Since 2021, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has continued expanding and strengthening its Body-Worn Camera (BWC) program following the Board of Supervisor’s approval in late 2019 and the initial deployment phases completed in 2020.

2022 – Implementation of the Body Worn Camera Dashboard

This internal compliance dashboard was created by personnel at the Body Worn Camera Unit to enhance compliance and accountability. This dashboard was developed using Microsoft Power Bi, which analyzes data from LASD’s computer aided dispatch system (CAD) and the cloud based digital evidence management system (Evidence.com) to identify calls for service or self-initiated enforcement or investigative activity which should require the activation of a body-worn camera.

The BWC Dashboard tracks the compliance for the activation rate of individual users as well as the overall compliance of each patrol station. To ensure accountability, it sends notifications regarding potential activation discrepancies to both individual BWC users and supervisors. The Body Worn Camera Dashboard also tracks multiple BWC policies and functions, including untagged digital evidence and accidental activations. The Body Worn Camera Dashboard help the Department to improve an approximate 68% BWC activation rate in 2021 to the current 95% activation rate.

2022 – Custody Division BWC Test and Evaluation

The Custody Support Services Bureau (CSSB), in partnership with the Body Worn Camera Unit (BWCU), launched a four-month pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness of BWC among Custody Support Division (CSD) personnel. Beginning February 1, 2022, a total of 50 BWCs were deployed to deputies and supervisors assigned to Men’s Central Jail. Throughout the pilot, the facility recorded a notable decrease in both uses of force and inmate grievances, indicating a positive operational impact. Following the program, participating personnel were surveyed, and the majority reported that BWCs were beneficial across multiple areas, including report writing accuracy, incident documentation, and improved interactions with the inmate population.

Following the successful pilot, the Department secured funding to fully deploy BWCs to custody personnel, including all required equipment and supporting infrastructure. A total of 4,641 body worn cameras were acquired, with deployment beginning in 2025, marking the transition from pilot evaluation to full operational implementation.

2025 – Deployment of Body Worn Cameras to Custody Operations Division

The Department developed comprehensive policies and procedures tailored specifically to Custody Operations, ensuring that BWC deployment aligned with the unique operational environment of custody facilities. Significant infrastructure upgrades—including network enhancements and the installation of BWC docking stations—were required to support full implementation.

By October 2025, infrastructure was completed at the Inmate Reception Center, Men’s Central Jail, Twin Towers Correctional Facility, and the Century Regional Detention Facility, enabling the Body Worn Camera Unit to begin training and deployment at these four locations in October 2025. Deployment has since expanded to the Los Angeles County Medical Center as well as the North County Correctional Facility (NCCF).

Since October 2025, the Department has achieved over 50% deployment across Custody Operations, with several facilities nearing full implementation. The remaining locations (Pitchess Detention Center North Facility, South Facility, and East Facility) are pending completion of required infrastructure and dock room development before deployment can proceed.

2026 – Current Status

The BWC program is fully deployed across all patrol operations countywide, with custody deployment underway and technology improvements continuing. The Department remains focused on transparency, community trust, and the effective use of body-worn cameras in daily operations. Key highlights of the overall implementation include the following:

3-06/200.00 – Body Worn Cameras

3-06/200.03 – Definitions

3-06/200.05 – Body Worn Cameras-Equipment

3-06/200.08 – Body Worn Cameras-Activation

3-06/200.10 – Inability to Activate Body Worn Camera Prior to Initiating Enforcement or Investigative Contact

3-06/200.13 – Recording of the Entire Contact

3-06/200.15 – Documentation Required for Failing to Activate Body Worn Camera or Recording the Duration of the Contact

3-06/200.18 – Body Worn Camera Recording Exceptions

3-06/200.20 – Los Angeles County Sheriff Custody Facilities

3-06/200.23 – Los Angeles County Superior Courthouses

3-06/200.25 – Confidential Nature of Recordings

3-06/200.28 – Prohibition Against Modification of Recordings

3-06/200.30 – Notice to Member of the Public of Body Worn Camera Recording

3-06/200.33 – Prohibition Against Recording Personnel in Non-Enforcement or Investigation Situations

3-06/200.38 – Property of the Department

3-06/200.40 – Training Required

3-06/200.43 – Inspection and Testing of Equipment

3-06/200.45 – Damaged, Malfunctioning, or Inoperable Equipment

3-06/200.48 – Identifying Recordings

3-06/200.50 – Storage of Recordings

3-06/200.53 – Viewing of Body Worn Camera Recordings

3-06/200.55 – Use of Force Incidents

3-06/200.58 – Guidelines for Administrative Reviews of Body Worn Camera Recordings

3-06/200.60 – Training

3-06/200.63 – Supervisor Responsibilities

3-06/200.65 – Unit Commander Responsibility

3-06/200.68 – Body Worn Camera Unit Responsibilities

3-06/200.70 – Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS)

3-06/200.73 – Retention

3-06/200.75 – Public Release of Critical Incidents

3-07/210.05 – Permissible Use

3-07/220.00 – Prohibitions

3-10/030.00 – Unreasonable Force and Duty to Report and Intercede

3-10/110.00 – Use of Force Review – Sergeant Responsibilities

3-10/115.00 – Video Review and Advisement