After an audit by LA’s Office of the Inspector General highlighted flaws in Los Angeles police stations’ security video, police Chief Charlie Beck says cameras will be repaired and training will improve. City News Service reports Beck told the Police Commission on Tuesday that recession-era budget cuts have prevented improvements to the department’s video monitoring system.

The security camera audit was conducted by the Office of the Inspector General and found that some of the department’s 21 stations have cameras that work poorly or don’t function at all.

The audit, which was released recently, found that areas used to hold those in custody had limited coverage by security cameras and footage was archived for an average of 30 days.

The report had numerous recommendations such as the Department standardize the video retention procedures for every
division and ensure that any such procedures are consistent with current record keeping requirements, as described in Section 12.3 (b)(5) of the City of Los Angeles Administrative Code.

The OIG also recommends the Department develop and implement written protocols for the prompt retrieval of footage upon notification of a personnel complaint or any incident requiring
investigation. The Department should also develop a policy that requires a record of the chain-of-custody for video footage that is downloaded and obtained by Department personnel