Los Angeles Municipal Code § 52.27 Badges and News Media Identification Cards – Unauthorized Possession of

(Title Amended by Ord. No. 139,522, Eff. 12/21/69.)

A. No person shall have in their possession any official police officer’s badge, civilian badge or special police officer’s badge or news media identification card which has not been lawfully issued to the person according to the provisions of this article. No person shall possess any such card or badge after their right to use such card or badge has been terminated. (Amended by Ord. No. 139,522, Eff. 12/21/69.)

B. No person shall have in their possession any other badge, star, shield, miniature, ring, charm or insignia, regardless of the size, shape or design thereof, which has on it the words, “Los Angeles Police” or “Los Angeles Detective”, whether used separately, together or in combination with any other words indicating a connection with the Los Angeles Police Department, or which is identical in design with or which so resembles an official police officer’s badge, civilian badge, or special police officer’s badge that it may be readily mistaken for any of such badges. (Amended by Ord. No. 112,577, Eff. 2/12/59.)

C. No person who is not a regular police officer, or one entitled to wear a civilian badge, or a special police officer shall wear or display any badge, star or insignia, calculated to indicate that the person is a member of or connected with the Police Department of the City of Los Angeles. (Amended by Ord. No. 112,577, Eff. 2/12/59)

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article, any person who has been, during their lifetime, a duly and regularly appointed, commissioned and sworn police officer of this city and who was honorably retired from such position prior to June 10, 1940, may retain and carry any badge lawfully issued to them or otherwise lawfully acquired by them during their service or incident to their retirement, provided the word “RETIRED” is plainly shown on such badge, by being engraved or embossed thereon or otherwise permanently affixed thereto.

(b) Retirement. (Amended by Ord. No. 181,594, Eff. 4/10/11.) Pursuant to California Penal Code Section 538d, Subsection (d), the Board of Police Commissioners is authorized to issue a badge to any regular sworn police officer who is honorably retired, which that retired officer may carry. The badge shall be especially adopted or approved for this specific purpose by the Board.

1. The badge shall contain the words “Honorably Retired”, clearly visible in capital letters, blue in color, on a ribbon to be permanently affixed to the badge directly above the scroll containing the rank of the officer. This badge shall be known as the “Retired Officer’s Badge”.

2. Upon the return of a retired officer to active duty or upon demand of the Board, any Retired Officer’s Badge previously issued to that person shall be returned to the Board.

3. The Board is authorized to revoke a badge issued pursuant to this Section in the event of misuse or abuse.

(c) Any honorary badge or other badge lawfully acquired indicating that the bearer occupied public office in the City, upon which appears the bearer’s name and which plainly shows the word “RETIRED” may be retained if lawfully acquired prior to June 10, 1940, by any person who prior to that date held any of the following offices in the government of this City:

1. Mayor,

2. Secretary to the Mayor,

3. Commissioner of any Board,

4. Secretary to any Board,

5. Secretary to the Chief of Police,

6. Councilmember,

7. Any other elective office,

8. Managing officer of any department.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to authorize the use of any badge herein mentioned for any unlawful purpose and any such badge so used may be confiscated by the Board.

(e) Any badge mentioned in this section shall be subject to confiscation by the Board if worn or displayed by any person other than the true owner, and shall be returned to the true owner only upon a showing that such use was without consent, express or implied.

(Added and Former Sec. 52.27.2 Renumbered as Sec. 52.27.4 by Ord. No. 177,374, Eff. 4/9/06.)

(a) The Chief of Police is hereby authorized to issue an honorary badge to any reserve officer, who has honorably separated after serving the Department for at least 20 years, or has been forced to separate because of a service-connected injury. The badge shall be especially adopted or approved for this specific purpose by the Board. The badge shall plainly show the words “RETIRED”, engraved or embossed on the badge. Any badge so adopted shall be known as the “Former Reserve Officer’s Badge”.

(b) Upon the return of a separated reserve officer to active duty or upon demand of the Chief of Police, any “Former Reserve Officer’s Badge” previously issued to that person shall be returned to the Chief of Police.

(Added by Ord. No. 175,997, Eff. 7/7/04.)

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article, a Regular Police Officer or Reserve Police Officer may purchase and retain any badge lawfully issued to the officer upon promotion to a different rank, provided that upon purchase, the Board shall cause such badges to be encased, which will effectively preclude the improper use of such badges.

(b) No person shall remove from the encasement, any badge obtained under this section, or wear such a badge or display it, except while it is within the encasement. Any badge removed, worn or displayed in violation of this subsection shall be subject to confiscation by the Board.

(c) Upon demand of the Chief of Police, any badge obtained under this section shall be returned to the Chief of Police.

(Amended by Ord. No. 170,055, Eff. 11/13/94; Renumbered from Former Sec. 52.27.2 by Ord. No. 177,374, Eff. 4/9/06.)

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, the Board of Police Commissioners may:

1. Cause the officer’s badge and number to be retired from active service and use.

2. Cause the badge, or a similar badge, to be presented to the deceased officer’s surviving spouse of surviving member(s) of the officer’s immediate family, as a memorial honoring the officer.

3. Cause the officer’s City-issued equipment, including an officer’s duty weapon, shooting medals, cap piece, handcuffs, call box key and buttons, to also be included at the City’s expense in the memorial which is presented to the deceased officer’s surviving spouse or surviving member(s) of the officer’s immediate family.

   A. Prior to the presentation, the Board shall cause the badge and other City-issued equipment to be affixed permanently to a plaque or within a frame, which will effectively preclude improper use of the badge or other City-issued equipment, with a statement clearly visible showing the officer’s death in the line of duty.

   B. No person shall remove from the plaque or frame any badge or other City-issued equipment presented under this section, or wear such a badge, or display it, except while it is attached to the plaque or within the frame, with the above described statement clearly visible. Any badge or other City-issued equipment removed, worn or displayed in violation of this subsection shall be subject to confiscation by the Board.