(Amended by Ord. No. 172,692, Eff. 8/8/99.)
(a) Uniform Departmental Badge. “Uniform departmental Badge” shall mean a badge, to be readily distinguishable from the official police officer’s badge, of a design selected by the Purchasing Agent and approved by the Council for the use of departments of this City other than the Police Department, the Fire Department and the Office of the City Attorney.
(b) Badges Issued to Other Than Elected Officials and Members of Boards and Commissions. The provisions of this subdivision apply to the issuance of uniform departmental badges to other than elected officials and members of boards and commissions:
1. Except as authorized in the appropriate departmental personnel ordinance, no uniform departmental badge shall be issued to, or be carried, worn or displayed by any person employed by any department whose funds are under the control of the City Council. The respective boards of departments given control of their own funds by the Charter may designate the officers and employees entitled to use badges under the restrictions set forth in this subsection.
2. No uniform departmental badge shall be issued to or be used, worn or carried by any person unless his or her duties involve the active enforcement of law, or unless he or she performs other public duties which, in the judgment of the board or officer in control of the department or office are such as to require that such person wear or carry a badge for purposes of identification.
3. Uniform departmental badges shall be issued only by the managing officers of the respective departments or offices. Such badges shall be consecutively numbered in each department or office. The managing officer of each department or office shall keep records showing the number of each badge, the date of its issuance, and the name and residence address of the person to whom issued. Each badge shall remain the property of the City and must be returned to the managing officer at the conclusion of the holder’s service or upon his or her being assigned duties not requiring the use of the badge.
4. Each officer or employee to whom a badge is issued must reimburse the City for the cost thereof if the badge is lost or destroyed through his or her negligence, or if the badge is not turned in to the managing officer at the termination of employment.
5. Issuance of identification disks is authorized and any City employee may, by order of the respective officers or boards in control of their departments or offices, be permitted or required while performing their duties to wear identification disks devoid of ornamentation and containing only plain stamped letters and figures calculated to identify the wearer of his or her position. Such disks must be no more than two inches in diameter.
6. When the holder of any badge, the use of which is authorized under this subsection, is honorably retired, the same or another badge may be reissued to him or her, provided there is permanently affixed thereto or engraved or embossed thereon, at his or her expense, the word “RETIRED” and figures showing his or her term of service. Such badge holder must reimburse the City for the cost of the badge.
(c) Badges Issued to Elected Officials and Members of Boards and Commissions. (Amended by Ord. No. 176,102, Eff. 8/23/04.) The provisions of this subsection shall apply to elected officials and to members of the Board of Police Commissioners, Board of Fire Commissioners, Board of Airport Commissioners, Board of Harbor Commissioners, and Board of Water and Power Commissioners. Members of all other boards and commissions shall not be issued badges.
1. The City Clerk shall be responsible for purchasing, issuing and record-keeping related to badges issued to elected officials and members of City boards and commissions. The City Clerk shall utilize such forms and procedures as deemed necessary and appropriate to satisfy the responsibilities assigned to that Office under this subsection.
2. The City Clerk shall issue badges to the incumbent in each of the following City offices: Mayor, City Attorney, City Controller, and Member of the City Council. When any such elected official leaves office the same or another badge may be reissued to the official, provided there is permanently affixed thereto or engraved or embossed thereon the word "RETIRED" and figures showing his or her term of service.
3. Requests from boards or commissions for the issuance of badges shall be submitted to the City Clerk for referral to the appropriate Council Committee for review and recommendation to the full Council. Upon Council approval, the individual in question shall be issued a badge. However before the issuance of the badge, the person being issued the badge shall be required to read a document which sets forth the terms and conditions imposed on the issuance of said badge, and shall sign that document acknowledging the receipt of the badge and the reading of the terms and conditions. The terms and conditions shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
a. The badge is the property of the City of Los Angeles;
b. Upon leaving the board or commission, the badge shall be collected and forwarded to the City Clerk, who, upon request from the board or commission, shall reissue the same or another badge to the departing commissioner, provided the badge is permanently encased in plexiglass or other substance more than twice its size and from which it cannot be removed, the badge is engraved or embossed with the word "RETIRED" and figures showing his or her term of service, and, it conforms to any additional control measures and mechanisms to prevent misuse as instituted by the City Clerk; the recipient of such badge shall reimburse the City for the cost of the badge;
c. Loss of the badge shall be reported immediately to the City Clerk in writing, with replacement at the expense of the person to whom the badge was issued;
d. The badge may be used only during activities related to the responsibilities of the board or commission.
(d) Unauthorized Badges - City Officers and Employees. No officer or employee of this City shall wear, carry or use, within or under color of the performance of his or her official duties, any badge which he or she is not expressly authorized to use by this Code. All unauthorized badges must be returned to the managing officers of the respective departments or offices.
(e) Persons Other Than City Officers and Employees. No person other than a City officer or employee shall wear, carry or use any badge or other insignia of office or employment in the government of this City, or any badge, identification card or insignia which is calculated to indicate that the holder is an officer or employee of this City, provided, however, that this provision shall not apply if the possession and use of such badge, card or insignia is expressly permitted by ordinance.