In 2020, LCSO announced the implementation of a body-worn camera program for deputies assigned outside the jail. They recently expanded our contract with Axon to provide body-worn cameras to all jail deputies as well.
The new Axon contract provides additional Body 3 cameras and chargers to 188 jail deputies along with those already in use – patrol, investigations, interview rooms, in-car cameras, reserve deputies, and drone services. The total cost of the new contract for eight years is $6.7 million. Support from the Board of County Commissioners made the program possible.
Jail deputies are expected to activate their body-worn cameras at the beginning of any encounter with an inmate or arrestee where there is a reasonable likelihood of enforcement and/or criminal investigation, there is an immediate threat to the security or safety of the jail, or during any encounter that becomes adversarial after initial contact. Jail deputies also have the discretion to activate their body-worn cameras any time they believe it would be appropriate or valuable to document an incident for legitimate law enforcement purposes. Jail deputies will have their body-worn cameras in sleep mode while on duty and not actively recording.
Recordings will not be made during courtroom proceedings, video advisements, or strip searches unless the deputy is responding to an emergency, criminal activity, adversarial inmates/arrestees, or immediate threats to the security or safety of the jail.
Training on policy and use of body-worn cameras began earlier this month and several jail deputies started on April 4. The goal is full implementation by the end of July 2022.