Documents provided to ProPublica and Verite show that 30 out of the state's 64 sheriffs' offices have not sought approval for their policy, have allowed their policy to expire, or have a policy that only applies to a small percentage of public records.
The finding builds on earlier reporting, which found records were destroyed in the case of a 16-year-old boy who died while in custody of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office.
Nearly half of Louisiana sheriffs are in violation of a state law regulating the preservation and destruction of public records, according to documents provided by state officials.