is it against the law for a landlord to take property from a tenant such as police badges and police equipment if a tenant is behind on rent?

It is likely that the landlord is breaking the law unless the object taken were given as compensation for the ability to repay the delinquent rent.  You should consult with a local landlord/tenant attorney to determine how best to proceed. This is not intended to be legal advice, and is general in its nature. No attorney-client relationship exists or is formed by this information. Furthermore, this does not represent the views or opinions of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.