Guards in Los Angeles County Now Wearing Body Cameras
On December 3, 2025, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced that guards in all county jail facilities began wearing body-worn cameras in October of this year. KABC reported that the move, aimed at strengthening accountability and enhancing transparency, comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta on September 8, 2025, alleging unconstitutional and inhumane conditions in the nation’s largest jail system.
Around 14,000 are locked up in Los Angeles’s jails each day, and detainees are routinely exposed to rat infestations, spoiled meals, and dirty water. According to the lawsuit, nearly 40% of detainee deaths were caused by preventable circumstances. With three dozen deaths last year, 2025 marked one of the deadliest years in the jail system’s history.
The cameras are designed with features to increase awareness: they emit an audible tone upon activation to notify detainees being filmed and partners nearby. They also beep every two minutes to remind deputies they are still recording. Over 1,000 personnel are already trained and using the cameras, and 70 to 100 more are being deployed every week. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) employs approximately 18,000 sworn and professional staff. PLN has covered LASD extensively, from suing the agency for record requests in 2021 to its problems with deputy gangs, in-custody deaths, and, more recently, failing to evacuate detainees during wildfires. [See: PLN, Mar. 2025, p. 9.]
Sources: Cal Matters, KABC, Vera Institute of Justice
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