(a) Any property received by the city’s Police Department pursuant to the seizure of any property, other than property that is subject to Ohio R.C. 3719.41, or property that has been lawfully seized in relation to a violation of Ohio R.C. 2923.32, that has been lost, abandoned, stolen, or seized pursuant to a search warrant, or otherwise lawfully seized or forfeited, and that is in the custody of the Police Department, shall be kept safely pending the time it no longer is needed as evidence, and then such property shall be disposed in accordance with the forfeiture and seizure provisions in the codified ordinances, provided that any acceptance of real estate by the city shall be approved by ordinance of Council.
(b) There is hereby established the city’s Law Enforcement Trust Fund, as a special revenue fund. All money and the proceeds of sale of other property forfeited to the city, or pursuant to federal law and required to be used for law enforcement purposes, except as may be required by law to be disposed of in another manner as Council shall appropriate shall be credited to the Law Enforcement Trust Fund.
(c) If property forfeited to the city is sold pursuant to this section, the proceeds of the sale shall be disposed of in the following order:
(1) To the payment of the costs named in the forfeiture proceedings;
(2) To the payment of the balance due on any security interest preserved pursuant to state law;
(3) To the payment of any costs named by the Department of Police in connection with the storage maintenance, security and forfeiture of the property; and
(4) To the Law Enforcement Trust Fund.
(d) The Chief of Police shall be required to make and file with the Finance Director, with a copy to Council, monthly reports of the financial expenditures. The Chief of Police shall further include in the report the purposes for which moneys in the Law Enforcement Trust Account were used. These reports shall be presented to the Finance Director and Council no later than the last calendar Friday prior to the beginning of the next successive month.
(Ord. 47-90, passed 5-1-1990)