Established in 2020, the Media Analysis Unit is at the forefront of implementing a Body Worn Camera program throughout the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD).
On October 20th, 2017, the Integrated Law and Justice Agency of Orange County (ILAJOC) launched a pilot program led by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The pilot program was a collaborative partnership with the Sheriff’s Department and several other police agencies within Orange County. Additionally, OCSD conducted an internal pilot program with two different models of body worn cameras from October 18th through January 31st, 2019.
The internal pilot revealed many benefits and challenges of a body worn camera program. Benefits included a favorable response during public interactions and report writings, easy methods to manage and locate videos and cloud sharing that reduces the time and costs associated with sharing evidence with other law enforcement entities. Challenges included integration with computer aided dispatch to auto-label video files, troublesome upload speeds and limited permission levels for proper review of video.
It is the goal of the Media Analysis Unit to develop, procure and roll-out a body worn camera solution within the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on or before January, 2022.
