(a) A special Crime Stoppers Reward Fund is hereby established for the City, to encourage persons having knowledge of criminal activities within the City to relay that information to the police.
(b) The funds for such Fund in the initial amount of five thousand dollars ($5,000) have been appropriated in Account No. 01301-614. The Fund shall be used only to provide rewards to informants who provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons who have committed serious criminal acts within the City.
(c) The Crime Stoppers Reward Fund shall be administered by a committee consisting of:
(1) The City Law Director, who shall act as chairperson, empowered to call meetings of the committee as required, to receive claims against the Fund and to vote on committee actions in the event of ties.
(2) The Safety Director.
(3) One private citizen appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by Council.
(4) One member of Council to be selected by the President of Council.
(5) The Chief of Police.
(d) All actions of the committee shall require an affirmative vote of three members.
(e) The powers and duties of the committee shall be to:
(1) Maintain the Fund by obtaining continued appropriations from Council, the Law Enforcement Trust Fund and private donations of interested parties.
(2) Authorize, by vote, the payment of rewards to informants.
(3) Establish procedures to protect the identities of informants and supervise the payment of rewards to those informants.
(4) Establish and advertise specific awards for information leading to the . arrest and conviction of persons perpetrating specific crimes.
(f) Awards paid from such Crime Stoppers Reward Fund shall not exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000). In all cases, the committee shall meet and consider the merit of each request for award. If the committee decides an award should be made, it shall also set the dollar amount.
(g) Members of law enforcement and investigative agencies, victims of crime and others with vested interest in specific cases, are prohibited from receiving awards from the Fund. (Ord. 61-87. Passed 5-26-87.)