Supervisors Approve First Year of Funding for LASD Body Worn Camera Program

Los Angeles — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors have voted to transfer $25.5 million to the Sheriff’s Department for implementation of the new body worn camera program. The motion was authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn and co-authored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger and will cover the first year of the program at five stations across the county starting as early as October.

During the past four years, the Board has set aside a total of $35 million to purchase body worn cameras. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Aug. 11, finalized an agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc. for enough cameras to equip 5,200 deputies and security officers with the devices over the next two years. 

The motion authorizes $25.5 million of the funding set aside to be given to the Sheriff’s Department for the first year of the body-worn camera program. This will allow the Sheriff’s Department to move forward with implementing the cameras in October starting with five stations: West Hollywood, Lancaster, Lakewood, Industry, and the Century Station. The next phase will include ten additional stations beginning Jan. 1, 2021.