Source: https://cpoa.org/a-review-of-the-law-enforcement-officers-safety-act-and-recent-case-developments/
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 10:04:33+00:00

Document:
The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (“LEOSA”) is a federal law that was enacted in 2004 which is set forth in 18 U.S.C. Sections 926B and 926C. Generally, LEOSA provides that active and retired law enforcement officers who meet certain criteria may carry a concealed firearm, with certain restrictions. Since its enactment, LEOSA has subsequently been amended to expand its scope to include active and retired law enforcement officers for the Amtrak Police, Federal Reserve Police, law enforcement officers of the executive branch of the federal government and military police.
The inclusion of the conjunction “and” indicates that, in order for a person to be qualified under LEOSA, he or she must meet all requirements set forth in the statute.
Subdivision (d) states that, “The identification required by this subsection is the photographic identification issued by the governmental agency for which the individual is employed that identifies the employee as a police officer or law enforcement officer of the agency.” Subdivision (e) of Section 926B defines “firearm” as “except as provided in this subsection, has the same meaning as in section 921 of this title [26 USCS § 921].” Subdivision (e)(2) further states that the definition of “firearm,” “includes ammunition not expressly prohibited by Federal law or subject to the provisions of the National Firearms Act [26 USCS §§ 5801 et seq.]” However, expressly excluded from the definition of “firearm,” are “(A) any machinegun (as defined in section 5845 of the National Firearms Act [26 USCS § 5845]); (B) any firearm silencer (as defined in section 921 of this title [26 USCS § 921]); and (C) any destructive device (as defined in section 921 of this title [26 USCS § 921]).” 18 U.S.C. § 926B(e)(3).
To the extent these allegations present a legal question, it is not obvious that the District of Columbia’s interpretation of the LEOSA “powers of arrest” is correct. In the LEOSA, Congress defined “qualified law enforcement officers” broadly, to include individuals who engage in or supervise incarceration. Given the breadth of Congress’s definition, the reference to “statutory powers of arrest” necessarily means some statutory power of arrest, such as a power to arrest parole violators, and not, as the District of Columbia suggests, only the police power to arrest upon probable cause. Id. at 1052-53.
Subsequent to the D.C. Circuit’s reversal, and decision that plaintiffs had stated a claim, the plaintiffs brought a Motion for Summary Judgment (“MSJ”) that recently was granted. Duberry v. District of Columbia, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 95743 (June 7, 2018). In opposition to the MSJ, the District of Columbia again argued that the retired correctional officers lacked “statutory powers of arrest” sufficient to meet the requirement of LEOSA, subsection (c)(2). In granting the MSJ, the District Court noted that: “the Circuit already rejected the District’s definition of ‘statutory powers of arrest’… Specifically, in the course of determining whether Congress intended LEOSA to benefit Plaintiffs, the Circuit explained that ‘the reference to ‘statutory powers of arrest’ necessarily means some statutory power of arrest such as a power to arrest parole violators, and not, as the District of Columbia suggests, only the police power to arrest upon probable cause.’” Id. at *19-20 [emphasis added].
Other federal district courts, however, have distinguished or limited the holding of the Duberry case. Specifically, several courts have determined that a state is not mandated to issue an identification card to retired law enforcement officers, and therefore, the officers have no enforceable rights under the LEOSA because they do not meet all qualification criteria under the federal statute. See Burban v. City of Neptune Beach, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50405 (2018); Henrich v. Ill. Law Enf’t Training & Stds. Bd., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12836 (2018).
Another such case that recently discussed the matter of issuance of LEOSA identification cards is D’Aureli v. Harvey, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17276 (2018). In D’Aureli, the plaintiff filed a lawsuit seeking declaratory and prospective relief under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for violating the LEOSA. The plaintiff had served as a state park police officer for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (the “OPRHP”) for over twenty-one years. Id. at *3. OPRHP denied the plaintiff’s request that he be issued a retirement identification card, stating “LEOSA does not mandate that State officers modify existing policies or procedures to help implement the federal statute.” Id. at *6. State policy on the issue required that an OPRHP officer serve for 25 years before he or she was entitled to a retirement identification card.
In analyzing the plaintiff’s claims under the LEOSA and the defendant’s motion to dismiss the case, the District Court stated “the text of LEOSA ‘is bereft of any indication that Congress, on passing the Act, intended to mandate that the various States implement a procedure for issuing certifications in accordance with 18 U.S.C. § 926C(d).’” [Citation omitted.] In distinguishing Duberry, the Court noted that the “´decision explicitly stated there was ‘no occasion to consider’ the implications of whether LEOSA would require states ‘to issue the photographic identification in subsection (d)(1) & (2)(A).’” Id. at *14, quoting Duberry at 1057. The Court held, “[t]herefore, the Court must conclude that LEOSA does not create an obligation for states to issue identification to retired officers and Defendant’s motion to dismiss is granted.” Id. at 16.
The LEOSA is an important statutory scheme that benefits law enforcement officers, both active and retired, throughout the United States. Ultimately, the determination as to whether one of your officers qualifies under the LEOSA requires an examination of each of the qualifying factors set forth in the statutory scheme, as well as application of this law to the circumstances of service of active or retired officers within your agency. For example, if a certain classification of officer is not permitted to carry a firearm while on duty, that category of an active peace officer would not meet the criteria under the LEOSA as a “qualified law enforcement officer.” As such, determinations under the LEOSA are somewhat fact specific. We urge you to consult with your department legal advisor prior to making such determinations regarding a specific officer to ensure that you are in compliance with this federal law.

References: § 921
 § 5845
 § 921
 § 921
 § 926
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 § 1983
 § 926