(A) There is hereby created a “Law Enforcement Fund”. The Fund shall consist of deposits in the form of proceeds recovered by the Office of the County Prosecuting Attorney and/or any law enforcement agency in forfeiture actions filed pursuant to I.C. 34-24-1 (formerly 34-4-30.1) and 34-24-2 (formerly 34-4-30.5) liquidations of personal or real property obtained from criminal defendants in those actions, donations, voluntary surrenders of funds and assets from criminal defendants and other law enforcement related fees recovered by the office of the County Prosecutor which are not required to be deposited in the County General Fund.
(B) The Law Enforcement Fund shall be appropriated for funding law enforcement activities, including drug enforcement, in the county and for reimbursement of expenses incurred by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in pursuing forfeiture and RICO actions.
(C) All moneys collected under this section shall be transferred to the County Auditor who shall deposit the funds with the County Treasurer. Disbursement of these funds shall be directed by the County Prosecutor subject to the appropriation requirement hereof. Moneys remaining in the fund at the end of the year shall not revert to any other fund but shall continue in the Law Enforcement Fund.
(D) Moneys from this fund shall be subject to appropriation by the County Council in accordance with Indiana Code.
(E) The funds, after appropriation, shall be used by the County Law Enforcement Agencies for law enforcement and drug investigations, which may include the purchase of drugs, controlled substances, stolen property and to pay confidential informants, and to purchase and maintain equipment and law enforcement costs as defined by I.C. 34-6-2-73.
(F) This section shall be in full force and effect upon passage and compliance with I.C. 36-2-4-8.
(Ord. 2000-2, passed 6-20-2000)