Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington would like to inform the public of a new law that will affect how we release photographs or mugshots of individuals after an arrest.
Louisiana House Bill 729, which is expected to be signed by Governor John Bel Edwards no later than Thursday, will require all law enforcement agencies to immediately cease publishing booking photos for most offenses to the public and media. Exceptions are written into the bill for certain violent offenses, but this bill will ultimately change which mugshots will be published in the future.
“After the Governor’s signature, all law enforcement agencies in the state will be expected to comply with this new bill immediately,” said Sheriff Whittington. “But there are exceptions that are written into the bill for certain violent offenses, and we will publish those.”
Under this new law, the Bossier Sheriff Office will continue to release the suspect’s name, charges, and other information related to the offense, ensuring that our residents are informed as much as the law will allow us to be.