§5537.  Appointment, oath, and bond of deputies; authority and jurisdiction of certain deputies

A.(1)  The sheriff of each parish and the civil and criminal sheriffs of the parish of Orleans may appoint as many deputies as necessary, but not more than authorized by law.

(2)  In all parishes except the parish of Orleans, the deputies shall, before entering on their duties, take the oath of office.  Their appointment and oath must be entered on the records of the court.  In addition to taking the oath of office, the said deputies shall, before commencing upon the discharge of their duties, each furnish a bond in the sum of five thousand dollars, with good and solvent sureties in favor of the sheriff appointing the said deputy, and the public, for the faithful performance of their duties.  Deputies in the parish of Orleans shall furnish bond in the sum of two thousand dollars in the same form and manner required of deputies in the other parishes.  The surety of the said bond furnished by the said deputy shall be bonding, surety, or indemnity companies qualified to do such business in the state of Louisiana, which fact shall be shown by a certificate issued by the secretary of state of Louisiana, to be annexed to said bonds.

(3)  The bonds and the certificates shall be filed with the clerk of the district court of the parish where said deputies shall exercise the functions of their office, and shall be recorded by said clerk in a separate book kept for that purpose.  Copies of said bonds, with certificates from the clerk of court showing their registry, shall be filed with the legislative auditor.

(4)  In lieu of furnishing the aforesaid bond a deputy may furnish a certificate of public liability insurance of a like amount in limits insuring against any breach of the faithful performance of his or her duties.

(5)  The above provisions shall not require the disclosure of the identity of a deputy who is a member of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association Narcotics Task Force.  The record of the deputy's appointment, oath, and bond may use a system of code numbers developed by the sheriff to refer to the deputy.

(6)  The above provisions shall not relieve a sheriff or his surety of any of his obligations when the said sheriff is acting in his capacity as ex officio tax collector or for any act done by any of his deputies as tax collector.

B.  Whenever the sheriff of any parish, except the Parish of Orleans, declares to the police jury in writing that his office is in need of the assistance of additional special officers to cope with any situation in the parish in the interest of proper law enforcement, and requests the police jury in writing to declare an emergency necessitating the services of additional local law enforcement officers, the police jury may declare the emergency.  When the police jury declares the emergency, the sheriff shall appoint and commission special deputy sheriffs to assist him in law enforcement during the emergency.  The special deputy sheriffs shall have the powers of police and may arrest offenders for any law violations.  The police jury may fix and pay the compensation of the special deputies or the expenses which they incur.

C.  The sheriff of each parish and the civil and criminal sheriffs of the parish of Orleans may appoint reserve deputy sheriffs as special unpaid volunteer litter-watch agents, as trained according to a training program established by each sheriff.

D.(1)  A duly commissioned deputy who is a member of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association Violent Crimes and Narcotics Strike Force when acting at the written request of the sheriff of another parish shall have law enforcement authority and jurisdiction within the jurisdiction of the sheriff  who is requesting the assistance.

(2)  A duly commissioned deputy who is a member of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association Emergency Task Force shall have law enforcement authority and jurisdiction in any parish when the deputy is on duty during a declared emergency situation or in any parish when the deputy is acting at the written request of the sheriff of that jurisdiction.

E.  Each deputy sheriff shall take the oath, as prescribed by law, at any time after the sheriff has taken the oath of office, and give bond, when required, and file the same in the proper office in the manner required by law.  If the sheriff takes the oath of office prior to the commencement of his term as provided in and authorized by R.S. 42:141(B), a deputy sheriff may also take the oath of office subject to the same provisions.

Amended by Acts 1950, No. 426, §1; Acts 1968, No. 45, §1; Acts 1972, No. 722, §1; Acts 1978, No. 318, §1; Acts 1990, No. 600, §1; Acts 1990, No. 887, §1; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 79, §1; Acts 2009, No. 8, §1; Redesignated from R.S. 33:1433 pursuant to Acts 2011, No. 248, §3.