Dear Editor,

When a police body camera turns off, the public is expected to trust that nothing worth seeing happened in the dark. Under California Penal Code 832.18, officers are permitted to turn off or limit their body-worn cameras when they claim to be dealing with “sensitive information.” What qualifies as “sensitive,” however, is never clearly defined. That ambiguity matters – because vague policy language is not neutral. It creates room for discretion, and discretion without oversight creates room for abuse.

My name is Aranza Guerrero, and I am part of Eyes on LAPD, a student-led initiative formed to strengthen transparency and accountability in our communities. Through our research, we’ve found that when officers cite “sensitive information” as the reason for disabling their cameras, those claims are often accepted without further investigation. In practice, this means that some of the most critical moments – those where power is most uneven – can go undocumented and unquestioned.

Body-worn cameras were introduced as a public accountability tool. But when the rules governing their use are flimsy, the technology fails the very communities it was meant to protect. A policy that relies on undefined terms invites selective enforcement and shields misconduct from scrutiny.

This is not an argument rooted in hostility toward law enforcement. It is rooted in reality. Trust in public institutions is built through transparency, not blind faith. Those granted authority over the public must be held to standards that are clear, enforceable, and uncompromising.

Our group is actively working to address this issue by scheduling meetings with City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez and State Senator Caroline Menjivar. But lasting reform cannot be achieved solely through private meetings. Community members can play a role by attending city council meetings, making public comment, and demanding clearer policies that ensure cameras stay on when accountability matters most.

Penal Code 832.18 does not stop at Los Angeles or the San Fernando Valley. It affects communities across California. If we want real change, we must organize, speak up, and stand together in insisting that transparency is not optional – and justice should never depend on what happens off camera.

With kind regards, 

Aranza Guerrero 

Aranza Guerrero is a senior at Cesar Chavez Learning Academies ArTES Magnet. She is the president of the Associated Student Body.