Answer

Art. VII, § 14 of the Louisiana Constitution is the relevant law. The Attorney General has opined in AG Op. No. 08-0311 and AG Op. No. 02-0476 that equipment purchased with public funds remains the property of the department and must be returned to the issuing police department. To qualify as "official equipment," the department should have some guidelines that are a part of its written policy, along with the provisions related to the return to the department of police supplies or equipment, and provisions for damaged property belonging to the entity . The AG states in AG Op. No. 08-0311: “Although there is no statutory definition of police equipment or law enforcement equipment items given by a police department to an officer for the purpose of performing his duties as an officer constitute police equipment and public property. Because public funds are used to purchase police equipment which includes commission cards, badges, uniforms, etc., and because such equipment are indicia of governmental authority, all equipment issued to an officer is the public property of the police department and must be returned when the employee ceases employment.” Louisiana Legislative Auditor website: 08/12/2025 02:34:24 PM