(a) A crime prevention reward commission hereby created which shall consist of the mayor, chief of police and city manager. The commission shall have the following functions:
(1) To decide the amount of the reward to be offered (any reward shall not exceed $4,500.00);
(2) To decide to whom the reward should be awarded;
(3) To decide to which crimes shall be subject to the reward offered; and
(4) To publicize the reward.
(b) The reward shall only be payable to any person who furnishes information that leads to the arrest and final conviction of any person guilty of the crime selected by the commission that is the subject of the reward.
(c) If more than one person provides information in relation to the crime selected by the commission that is the subject of the reward, then the reward shall be prorated.
(d) This reward shall not be available to any officer in the employ of the city, county or state, whose duty it is to detect violations of the law or make arrests in connection therewith, any private security personnel, and any victims of the crime and persons who are party to the offense or who are in any way criminally responsible for the commission of the offense.
(e) The city secretary is hereby authorized to post notices of the reward in public buildings or other locations within the city stating the following: "The City of Big Spring, Texas, will pay the sum of up to (insert amount approved by the commission) to any person or persons furnishing information leading to the arrest and final conviction of any person or persons guilty of (insert crime subject to the award) within the city. If more than one person provides information in relation to (insert crime subject to the award), then the reward will be prorated. Persons who are a party to the offense or who are in any way criminally responsible for the commission of the offense are not eligible for this reward."
(f) The commission is hereby authorized to accept donations for funding of the reward program governed by this section and the city council may authorize funds as part of the annual budget, when available, to be disbursed by the commission to be payable to any person, except those persons who are ineligible to receive the reward as stated in subsection (d) of this section, furnishing information leading to the arrest and final conviction of any person guilty of a crime selected by the commission that is the subject of the reward.
(Prior Code, § 1-26; Ord. of 2-23-1999)