§326. Authority of levee district and levee and drainage district police officers; annual expenditure

A.(1)(a) Any levee district or levee and drainage district may, at the discretion of its boards of commissioners, employ one or more persons as levee district or levee and drainage district police officers. Those persons who are designated levee district or levee and drainage district police officers in accordance with this Section are responsible for maintaining order and exercising general police power on and off the levees, within the area of the levee district or levee and drainage district, and upon its surrounding waters.

(b) Each such person named as a police officer by the president of the levee district or levee and drainage district shall be commissioned as a peace officer by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 40:1379.1. Such commission shall remain in force and effect at the pleasure of the president of the levee district or levee and drainage district and the Department of Public Safety and Corrections subject to applicable civil service regulations.

(2) These police officers shall have the right to exercise the power of arrest as peace officers, according to law, within the area of their jurisdiction as provided herein.

(3) Each such police officer shall execute a bond in the amount of ten thousand dollars in the favor of the state of Louisiana for the faithful performance of his duties. The premium on the bond shall be paid by the levee district or levee and drainage district. Additionally, each board shall obtain police liability insurance in an amount appropriate to each individual district.

(4) The provisions of this Section shall not entitle any such police officer to state supplemental pay.

B. Any person arrested by a levee district or levee and drainage district police officer in the exercise of his powers shall be immediately transferred by such officer to the custody of the sheriff or city police within whose jurisdiction the arrest occurs.

C. No person may be commissioned as a levee district or levee and drainage district police officer unless prior to such commissioning the person has, as a minimum requirement, completed a training program and received certification as a peace officer by the Louisiana Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST Council).

D. All levee board or levee and drainage board police forces existing on the effective date of this Section may remain in effect and shall retain the general powers, duties, functions, and authorities in effect at that time.

Acts 1985, No. 785, §1, eff. July 22, 1985; Acts 2010, No. 332, §1.

{NOTE: REGARDING R.S. 38:326, SEE ALSO R.S. 38:1044 AND 1076.1 AS PER ACTS 1985, NOS. 771 AND 1000, WHICH MAY BE CONFLICTING.}