Los Angeles sheriff deputies working in county jails now equipped with body worn cameras

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna says Deputies at all the county jail facilities started wearing body cameras last month.

We've all seen law enforcement officers with body worn cameras attached to their uniforms on patrol, but now the L.A. County Sheriff's Department is equipping deputies who work at the county jails with the cameras. Sergeant Dennis Conway with the sheriff's department body camera unit says the cameras that deputy jailers wear sounds off when activated.

"When you turn it on, it makes an audible noise to let the inmate, who's now going to be filmed, know that he's going to be filmed. It lets the partners around that deputy know that someone is actively recording. And then every two minutes, the body cam will beep to remind the deputy that your camera's still recording," said Sgt. Conway.

On the heels of California Attorney General Rob Bonta suing the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in September over alleged unconstitutional and inhumane conditions in county jails, the sheriff outfitting deputy jailers with body cameras provide transparency throughout the jails.

"Part of my ongoing commitment to strengthening accountability, enhancing transparency, increasing compliance and modernizing our department, I'm proud to announce the implementation of body worn cameras across our custody facilities," Sheriff Luna said. "We operate the largest jail system in the nation, and this advancement represents a significant step towards ensuring a safer custodial environment for both our staff and those that we are entrusted to care for."

Sergeant Conway says he believes jail deputies feel safer with these body worn cameras.

"In talking to some of the jail deputies, when they approach an inmate who's being uncooperative or recalcitrant, and they walk up and they make an active effort to turn the body cam on, often times the demeanor of the inmate changes, which again makes the situation safer," Sgt. Conway said.

"We currently have over 1,000 personnel trained and actively using body worn cameras, and we are training and deploying an additional 70 to 100 each week throughout our custody facilities," Sheriff Luna said.