The San Diego Sheriff kicked off a pilot program for body cameras in Las Colinas county jails.
Acting Sheriff Chief Kelly Martinez reported Wednesday that the project began with 72 cameras on warden uniforms last Friday.
Martinez said it is the first phase of cameras at the women's prison, the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Center in Santee.
For this project, the sheriff's office built a dedicated room in Las Colinas to house the docking stations for the body cameras.
The sheriff's department also improved the electrical and network infrastructure around the jail to facilitate charging efficiently and data transfer to the coordination room.
In addition to gathering visual information, in this early stage, the sheriff's office collects feedback from officers involved in the project to make adjustments to operations and security as this program starts in other county jails.
According to chief Martínez, the program is the safety of people in custody and officers.
"Having body cameras in our jails will also strengthen our relationship with the community by increasing accountability and trust," she said.
She explained that video footage provides critical evidence for incident investigation and complaint resolution.
The San Diego Sheriff's Office began employing body cameras outside of jails in 2017.
The interim chief explained that the pilot project in Las Colinas would be expanded to all prison facilities when they have adequate infrastructure.
Body cameras will complement stationary cameras and other systems in detention centers.
