New La. Law Creates 25 Foot Buffer Zone Between Police Officers, Public

A new Louisiana law creates a buffer zone around police officers at crime scenes.

Under the law, which was signed by Gov. Jeff Landry and goes into effect in August, it's illegal to "knowingly or intentionally" approach within 25 feet of a police officer “lawfully engaged in the execution of his official duties” after being ordered to “stop approaching or retreat,” ABC News reports. Offenders can be fined up to $500 and jailed for up to 60 days.

“This gives the police something beyond just warning people if someone is a persistent threat to the officer or in any way compromising a crime scene,” said New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche, according to WGNO-TV.

The idea behind the law, according to proponents, is to create a safe buffer zone while law enforcement officers are working. 

“At 25 feet, that person can’t spit in my face when I’m making an arrest,” said Rep. Bryan Fontenot, the law's author, said earlier this year. “The chances of him hitting me in the back of the head with a beer bottle at 25 feet — it sure is a lot more difficult than if he’s sitting right here.”

A similar bill was vetoed by then-Gov. John Bel Edwards last year. Bel Edwards is a Democrat and Landry is a Republican.

Louisiana isn't the only state that has tried to establish safe distances between police and the public. An Arizona law was passed in 2022 that would have made knowingly filming police at 8 feet or closer after being told to stop a crime. The measure, however, was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge.