The Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) has reported a worrying trend among San Diego County sheriff’s deputies regarding adherence to body-worn camera (BWC) policies. Since November, the board has identified over a dozen instances where deputies either failed to activate their cameras or muted them during critical interactions.
This is a stark contrast to the previous year, where only one such case was noted between January 2023 and October 2024.
A recent letter addressed to Sheriff Kelly Martinez highlighted the board’s concerns, noting that although no deliberate violations were established, the repeated failures could undermine public trust in law enforcement. CLERB Executive Officer Brett Kalina emphasized the importance of body-worn cameras, stating that these devices represent the only direct evidence of potentially contentious events, such as arrests, searches, and incidents involving use of force.
Between November and April, the board found that deputies had violated established BWC policies 12 times. The infractions included not activating cameras, muting audio without justification, or failing to provide documentation for the absence of BWC activation. It’s important to note that CLERB primarily investigates complaints related to the Sheriff’s Office and the Probation Department.
These 12 identified violations represent only a fraction of the actual interactions deputies have with the public. CLERB’s investigation process is largely driven by citizen complaints, although the board also examines all deaths in custody and circumstances where individuals incur serious injuries as a result of deputy actions.
Recent meetings have indicated a potential increase in the number of violations since April. The May findings included another instance of a deputy failing to activate a body camera, and the board’s June agenda indicated several more cases of deputies either neglecting to activate their cameras or muting them without explanation.
In response to the issues raised, a spokesperson for the San Diego Sheriff’s Office reiterated that deputies are trained to follow BWC activation protocols and stated that any identified violations would be managed by supervisory personnel. Lt. David Collins emphasized the department’s commitment to transparency and maintaining public trust in their operations.
An investigative review carried out by The San Diego Union-Tribune revealed that failures to activate body-worn cameras occurred during a variety of encounters, ranging from routine traffic stops to more serious situations where individuals being arrested sustained notable injuries.
For most cases, available footage from other deputies who activated their BWC mitigated the impact of the lack of footage. However, one specific case raised significant concerns about the absence of camera footage.
In that instance, a man incarcerated in a local jail filed a formal complaint with CLERB regarding damage to his personal property and mishandling of legal documents by deputies during a search of his cell. The CLERB report stated, “In review of the jail surveillance video recordings and the deputies’ BWC recordings that were provided to CLERB, it was noted that not all deputies who participated in the module search either donned BWC or had them turned on. As such, it was unknown what the other deputies’ actions were when they entered (the man’s) jail cell.”
San Diego sheriff’s deputies began using body-worn cameras in 2017, initially within patrol operations. Over the years, this use of technology has expanded into the jail settings where it is deemed even more essential due to the limitations of existing CCTV systems that lack audio capabilities, have blind spots, and often deliver subpar video quality.
Paul Parker, a former executive officer of CLERB during the initial rollout of body cameras, stated that the board granted a grace period for deputies to adjust to the technology. Parker recognized the early challenges deputies faced in adapting to the new system, indicating that the board had initially reported such issues but expected to hold deputies accountable after the adaptation phase.
He strongly advocated for the value of body-worn camera footage in oversight matters, asserting that it often clarifies situations that could otherwise devolve into disputes where one individual’s account contradicts another’s. Parker concluded that BWC evidence frequently clears deputies of wrongdoing and demonstrates instances where they perform beyond expected levels of service.
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