SAN DIEGO — The San Diego County Sheriff's Department gave an update on changes happening inside local jails, following the county's eighth in-custody death last week.
The news conference was held Wednesday morning at the Sheriff's Technology and Information Center in Kearny Mesa.
Sheriff Kelly Martinez said millions have been invested in technology. They have upgraded the camera system, and deputies in the jails now wear body-worn cameras.
Martinez also said there are efforts being made to keep drugs from entering jails.
Staff are using body scanners to screen people coming into jails. A special contraband and narcotics team is aimed at finding drugs in places known for smuggling. She said since January, the team has intercepted drugs on 200 occasions at the downtown jail.
Meanwhile, outside the news conference, four protestors held a sign, calling for justice in the death of Elisa Serna, who died at the Las Colinas Jail back in 2019.
This week, a judge ordered a nurse and doctor who were working at the facility to stand trial on manslaughter charges in connection with Serna's death.
"We've been told so many different stories," said Serna's mother. "We need change we need transparency."
"If there’s staff that are culpable in any of the deaths in our facility, we will hold people accountable," said Sheriff Martinez. "At this time we really are focusing on our health care in our jails we think that’s important and key."
Sheriff Martinez said staff is now taking urine samples from people during the intake process to see exactly what is in their system at the time they're brought in.
"Previously, we didn't have any testing ability. So we were relying on symptoms, on how they presented. If they were nauseous if they were having GI symptoms," said Medical Officer Jon Montgomery. "We were having to rely on their own input."