The San Diego County Sheriff's Department announced they are working on a new pilot program involving a monitoring device which will be placed on a detainee's wrist in order to record their vital signs. SDSO said the program will focus on some of their most at-risk individuals.
There have been 18 in-custody deaths so far this year according to the SDSO, as law enforcement, city and county leaders and community members are searching for ways to stop the deaths.
4Sight Labs is the company behind this health monitoring device that’s similar to a Fitbit or Apple Watch. The CEO John DeFalco said the device is made secure and rugged for use on individuals in custody and it can monitor things like heart rate and how people are physically moving.
"It's not enough with human effort alone to watch people that are in custody, you have to monitor their vital signs continuously from the moment they get arrested and transported into police stations and county jails to protect them around-the-clock," said DeFalco.
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But, there’s a cautious optimism from families who’ve had a loved one die while in-custody.
"I think it's a step for the San Diego Sheriff's to say we're trying," said Sabrina Weddel.
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Weddel’s brother, Saxon Rodriguez, died in a San Diego County jail last summer from a fentanyl overdose. She said she is skeptical of the pilot program, but hopes that inmates' safety improves.
"I mean I'm happy that the creators created something to help try and save lives and if this helps, I hope that maybe they can take a look into the machine that looks for drugs, because that is failing," said Weddel.
Paloma Serna’s daughter died in the Las Colinas Detention Facility back in November of 2019.
"It will work if we have deputies that are actually doing what they're supposed to be doing," said Serna. "First of all, they have to be checking on inmates, they can't just rely on a device."
Both the women bring up concerns of transparency and accountability from the Sheriff's department.
The cost of the program is approximately $1,000 per unit and is funded by the Sheriff's Department's current budget.
SDSO said the devices will be consensually placed on those who are deemed medically vulnerable. Their vitals and motion will be monitored by deputies and medical staff who will be alerted when there is a change in condition to the person's health.
The law enforcement agency acknowledge some challenges like battery life, the size of the device and the increased staff work needed to support the program.
"The reality of today's detainee is very challenging, where the crisis in the country with the opioid epidemic, mental health, the things that are unfolding on streets in cities all over the country all end up coming into the hands of law enforcement and corrections as people arrested in process of the system," said DeFalco.
The Sheriff's Department said they plan to update the public on the progress of this program, which will be implemented in the coming weeks.
In August San Diego County's Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an emergency measure aimed at addressing the number of drug overdose deaths in San Diego County jails.
