Mariposa County Sheriff | Body cameras
The Sheriff implemented Axon body cameras in 2019. The Board approved a new $311,863.73 Axon agreement in 2024, and the current policy sets a 60-day minimum for non-evidentiary recordings.
At a glance
How it happened
- Decision
The Board approves the first Axon agreement
The Board approves an agreement with Axon Enterprise for purchase and implementation of Sheriff body-worn cameras. The minutes do not state the price. [1]
- Deployment
The Sheriff reports implementation
The Sheriff announces to the Board that the Axon body-camera system has been implemented. [2]
- Context
The District Attorney receives Evidence.com access
The Board approves a multi-year Axon agreement for the District Attorney to receive and review body-camera evidence through Evidence.com. [3]
- Procurement
The Board approves a $311,863.73 Axon agreement
The agreement for Sheriff body-worn cameras is approved on the consent calendar. The minutes do not state the term, device count, or storage configuration. [4]
- Context
The published manual sets recording and retention rules
Policy 432 directs activation during calls for service and law-enforcement functions. It sets retention floors, access controls, audit duties, and restrictions on public release. [5]
How it was approved
The Board of Supervisors approved an agreement with Axon Enterprise on June 25, 2019 for the purchase and implementation of Sheriff body-worn cameras. The minutes identify the purpose and resolution number but do not state the price.[1]
The Sheriff told the Board on September 10, 2019 that the system had been implemented.[2] Three weeks later, the Board approved a separate multi-year Axon agreement that allowed the District Attorney to receive and review body-camera evidence through Evidence.com.[3]
Attempts to expand it
On July 9, 2024, the Board approved another agreement with Axon Enterprise for Sheriff body cameras. The amount was $311,863.73. The item appeared on the consent calendar, the group of items approved in one vote, and no item was removed. The minutes do not state the agreement term, device count, refresh schedule, or Evidence.com storage tier.[4]
What governs it
Policy 432 of the Sheriff’s published manual governs activation, access, review, public release, and retention. It directs members to activate cameras during calls for service and law-enforcement functions. It permits muting or deactivation in defined privacy-sensitive circumstances and calls for the reason to be recorded when possible.[5]
The policy limits system access to authorized users. It permits access for defined agency duties, including investigation, supervision, training, records work, audits, and system administration. It also requires records or logs of access and deletion to be kept permanently.[5]
Non-evidentiary recordings have a minimum retention period of 60 days. Recordings involving force, an officer-involved shooting, detention or arrest, or a complaint have a minimum of two years. Evidence relevant to a prosecution may be held longer under other legal rules.[5]
The public records reviewed do not establish the number of devices in service or the storage and sharing configuration purchased under either Sheriff agreement.[1][4][5]
Questions
- Does the Mariposa County Sheriff use body cameras?
- Yes. The Sheriff reported implementing an Axon body-camera system in September 2019, and the Board approved another Axon agreement in July 2024. [2] [4]
- How much did the 2024 agreement cost?
- The approved amount was $311,863.73. [4]
- How long is body-camera footage kept?
- Policy 432 sets a minimum of 60 days for non-evidentiary recordings. It sets a minimum of two years for recordings involving force, an officer-involved shooting, detention or arrest, or a complaint. Other evidentiary recordings may have longer legal retention periods. [5]
- Who can review the recordings?
- Policy 432 limits access to authorized users for agency purposes and lists roles for members, investigators, supervisors, training staff, records staff, and the program coordinator. A 2019 agreement also gave the District Attorney a way to receive and review evidence through Evidence.com. [3] [5]
What we do not know
- How many body cameras and Evidence.com licenses are in service?
- What are the terms, storage tiers, and renewal schedules in the 2019 and 2024 Axon agreements?
- Which retention categories are configured in Evidence.com, and how are legal holds handled?
- Which agencies or county departments can receive, review, or share recordings?
What you can do
Show up
Systems like this one are approved by boards, councils and committees that meet in public. We have not yet confirmed where each of them meets in Mariposa County.
What we have documented in Mariposa County →Protect yourself
Practical steps to shrink your personal data trail. Our guides publish at launch; until then, EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense is the best starting point.
Surveillance Self-Defense →Sources
- 1. Mariposa County Board of Supervisors minutes, June 25, 2019 (RES-2019-368) · Meeting record · · accessed · archived copy
- 2. Mariposa County Board of Supervisors minutes, September 10, 2019 · Meeting record · · accessed · archived copy
- 3. Mariposa County Board of Supervisors minutes, October 1, 2019 (RES-2019-570) · Meeting record · · accessed · archived copy
- 4. Mariposa County Board of Supervisors minutes, July 9, 2024 (Axon agreement) · Meeting record · · accessed · archived copy
- 5. Mariposa County Sheriff's Office policy manual, September 17, 2025 (Policy 432) · Primary document · · accessed · archived copy
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