County sheriff's deputies may be getting body cameras sooner than expected

While hundreds of protesters gathered outside Los Angeles police headquarters Tuesday, where a panel plaed to review the 2015 fatal police shooting of an allegedly knife-wielding woman, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to accelerate the use of body cameras for sheriff’s deputies.

The board approved a motion that asks Sheriff Jim McDoell and his staff to prepare a plan within four months on how to equip all patrol deputies with the technology.

Los Angeles County Inspector General Max Huntsman, who oversees the Sheriff’s Department, said cameras would help deputies do their jobs with confidence, record their actions and increase accountability. In 2014, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department started a volunteer program initiated to test body-wo camera systems in four areas in the county. The department allows deputies to use privately purchased body-wo cameras as well.

“Body-wo cameras are an absolute critical piece of sheriff’s reform today,” Huntsman said. “I think it’s a win-win.”

Sheriff’s deputies patrol areas including Lakewood, Cerritos, Bellflower and Norwalk. The city of Long Beach began a yearlong pilot program in March, equipping officers in the city’s weste and central areas with the cameras.

Supervisor Hilda Solis, who co-introduced the motion with Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, said the board’s overall agreement with the motion shows a commitment to investing in body-wo cameras and “to heal tension between law enforcement and the community.”

Input on the plan would come from the county’s District Attoey, Public Defender, Alteate Public Defender, Office of Inspector General and L.A. County Sheriff’s departments.

“Body-wo cameras protect our officers and members of the public, and they must be implemented without delay while utilizing best practices,” Solis said.

“Conce about police use of force is very high. We need to better address allegations of misconduct and increase public trust of law enforcement. I believe use of body-wo cameras will help move us in that direction,” Kuehl added.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas agreed, saying in light of the shooting death by police of Philando Castile, 32, last week in suburban St. Paul, Mi., body cameras would also increase transparency.

“The key is that we roll this out with expediency,” Ridley-Scott said, but added the cameras should be of high quality.

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