Louisiana Revised Statutes 15:545 – Duty of law enforcement
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 15:545
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- person: includes a body of persons, whether incorporated or not. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:10
A.(1) It shall be the duty of the sheriff of every parish, the chief of police of each municipality, and every chief officer of every other law enforcement agency operating within this state to record the fingerprints of all persons held in or remanded to their custody when convicted of any sex offense or any criminal offense against a victim who is a minor for which the penalty of imprisonment might be imposed and to disseminate and file such fingerprints in the same manner as those recorded upon every arrest. The sheriff and the police chief or, if the residence is in a municipality with a population in excess of three hundred thousand, the police department shall forward the fingerprints and information obtained pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 15:542 and 542.1, a copy of the criminal history of the offender, and the text of the law defining the criminal offense which requires registration to the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information within three business days for inclusion into the State Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry.
(2) Each emergency shelter opened or operating in the state of Louisiana in anticipation of a state of emergency being declared or a state of emergency having been declared in the state or any portion of the state shall either access the current sex offender information posted on the State Police Sex Offender and Child Predator Internet Registry or request that the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information provide the shelter with a copy of the most recent central registry of sex offenders registered under provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 15:542 and 542.1.
(3) It shall be the duty of the sheriff of every parish, the chief of police of each municipality, and every chief officer of every other law enforcement agency operating within this state to record the fingerprints of all persons arrested for any offense involving the operation of a vehicle while intoxicated, including local ordinances pertaining to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. However, there shall be no duty to record fingerprints if the fingerprint system at the local prison is unavailable.
B. Every time a furlough is authorized, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall notify, forty-eight hours prior to the beginning of such furlough, the bureau that the named prisoner has been granted a furlough, the place to which furloughed, and the dates and times during which the prisoner will be on furlough status. In the case of an emergency furlough the forty-eight hour time period shall not be required but notification shall be made as promptly as possible and before the prisoner is released on furlough. Upon receipt of furlough information pursuant to this Subsection, the bureau shall notify the sheriff of the parish or the chief of police of the municipality to which the prisoner is being furloughed, the nearest Louisiana state police troop unit wherein the furloughed prisoner shall be residing, and such other criminal justice agencies as the bureau may deem necessary.
C. Disposition of the charge for which the arrest was made shall be reported to the bureau at whatever stage in the proceedings a final disposition occurs by the arresting law enforcement agency, district attorney, parish attorney, city attorney, or court having jurisdiction over the offense.
D. Whenever a person serving a sentence for a term of incarceration in a state correctional facility for convicted felons, pursuant to court commitment, is released on an order of the committee on parole or office of adult services, or is discharged from custody on expiration of sentence, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall promptly notify the bureau that the named person has been released or discharged, and the conditions of his release or discharge, and shall additionally notify the bureau of change in residence or conditions of release or discharge of a person on active parole supervision, and shall notify the bureau when the person is discharged from active parole supervision. Any person released or discharged shall register with the sheriff pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 15:542. In addition, nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to prevent any local law enforcement agency from recording the residency and other information concerning any convicted felon or other person convicted of a criminal offense when such information is obtained from a source other than from registration pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 15:542, which source may include any law enforcement officer or other agency or subdivision of the state.
Acts 1992, No. 388, §1, eff. June 18, 1992; Acts 1999, No. 816, §1; Acts 2005, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 11, §1, eff. Jan. 21, 2006; Acts 2006, No. 285, §1; Acts 2007, No. 460, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2008; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 18, §1; Acts 2012, No. 714, §8; Acts 2022, No. 334, §1.