CITY OF RIVERSIDE
CITY COUNCIL MEMORANDUM
PeopleServing People
Riverside
AIbAmerica Cily
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: March 20, 2001
ITEM NO: 2]_
SUBJECT: Riverside Reward Proqram
BACKGROUND:
At the November 21, 2000, City Council meeting Police Chief Russ Leach and Councilmember Maureen Kane presented a repor~ proposing to implement a Riverside Reward Program (Agenda item # 19 - see attached report for program details). The City Council referred this item to its Public Safety Committee for further discussion.
The Public Safety Committee convened on Thursday, February 8, 2001. Members of the Committee, which included Councilmember Maureen Kane substituting for Councilmember Terri Thompson, thoroughly discussed the merits and structure of the Riverside Reward Program with representatives of the City Attorney's Office and Police Depadment. Members of the Committee suggested that the draft Police Department Policy be revised to better clarify the expectation that all claimants that are being considered to receive payment of rewards be sufficiently identified by the Case Agent (detective) to ensure eligibility. Following discussion, members of the Committee unanimously approved implementing the Riverside Reward Program, as amended.
FISCALIMPACT:
There will be no immediate impact to the General Fund. Funds will be identified on each instance that the Chief of Police recommends to the City Council that an offer of a reward be approved.
ALTERNATIVES:
Do not approve a Riverside Reward Program.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council:
Adopt a Resolution approving the Police Department's Riverside Reward Program.
Prepared by:
Russ Leach
Chief of Police
Approved by:
21-1
Effective Date:
Revision Date:
Approval:
Russ Leach
Chief of Police
5. 49 RIVERSIDE REWARD PROGRAM:
A. PURPOSE:
The Riverside Reward Program establishes a procedure for offering monetary rewards for information that leads to the identification and apprehension of any person whose willful misconduct results in injury or death to any person, or who willfully damages or destroys any property. Additionally, it creates a partnership between the community, police, and city government by which citizens can feel secure providing information on unsolved crimes and/or outstanding suspects.
A request for a reward offer may originate from a
Police Department.
Council, or
This policy outlines the procedure for submitting
payment to claimants.
ng rewards and
B. PROCEDURES:
1. Reouests for a
to the General Investigations
the case agent and forward
gations. The Captain will forward
ce or designee. The Chief of Police or
ecommendations and present a report with a
the City Council. The City Council will approve, deny, or modify In doing so, they should strongly consider the
of all parties mentioned.
requests for a reward offer shall not be eligible for consideration, if in the judgement of the Chief of Police, it is unnecessary and/or may jeopardize any ongoing investigation, etc.
2. Reward Offer Claims:
When information is received which may lead to a reward claim, the GIB Lieutenant shall:
Document the date the information is received and the name and address of the claimant until the case is adjudicated or otherwise completed. This is essential in establishing that the information was received during the 60- day period that the reward is valid.
When
Provide claimants with an Application for Special Reward Payment Attachment 1 ).
Inform claimants that claims will be processed when the case is adjudicated or otherwise concluded. Note: Claimants requesting information concerning payment of the reward shall not be referred to the City Clerk's Office.
acaseinvolving a City-offeredrewardhas been adjudicatedor 21- 3 5.
49 - 1
otherwise completed, and a claim for the reward has been submitted, the GIB Lieutenant shall:
Complete a Reward Claim Checklist ( Attachment 2) for each claimant. The Reward Claim Checklist gives the City Council information verified by the Chief of Police concerning the claimant's eligibility to receive payment of the reward. If a claimant is ineligible to receive payment, the reason for the ineligibility shall be explained on the checklist.
If a claimant's identity cannot be revealed, enter " Anonymous" on the checklist. If there are multiple claimants who choose to remain anonymous, identify claimants as " Claimant A, B," etc.
However, if the claimant(s) remain anc
still must be confirmed and eligi s outlined in
this policy.
Upon the request of City Council,
be required to provide insi!
which should be
contribution
denial of
r designee may
Jnt of a reward
the claimant's
lved, etc.) or
for Special
ations for review.
and an Application for Special Reward
submitting a claim.
case agent and jointly review the completed Reward Claim determine the level of contribution of each claimant to the an. Document a brief explanation regarding the level of contribution, i. e.: "John Doe ( or "Claimant A" if the claimant wishes to remain anonymous) provided information that led to the location and arrest of the suspect, and recovery of evidence linking the suspect to the crime." Submit a memorandum supporting or opposing payment of the claim(s) to the Captain of Investigations. Completed forms shall be attached for each claimant. The memorandum shall include:
1. The name of the claimant ( or Anonymous, Claimant A, B, etc.).
Whether the claimant is eli.qib e or ineli.qible to receive the payment.
If the claimant is ineligible to claim a reward, provide a brief explanation.
A brief explanation as to the value of the claimant's contribution to the investigation.
A recommendation as to whether the reward should be paid to the claimant ( i. e., claimant's information was vital, helpful but not essential, of no value). In cases involving multiple claimants, include a statement as to which claimants should receive a part of the reward, briefly explain the assistance provided by each claimant, and indicate the recommended percentage of the reward each claimant should receive.
21-45. 49 - 2
Additionally, the GIB Lieutenant's responsibilities shall include:
Distributing and maintaining all correspondence associated with the program, i. e.: letters to/ from claimants, etc.
Coordinating with detectives and the case agent regarding the status of their investigations and if additional information is needed from callers.
Keeping all files associated with the Riverside Reward Program updated and accurate.
4. Maintaining all statistics for the
5. Preparing public service media ( TV,
radio, newspapers). No prior
approval from the case agent.
6. Ensuring cases.
7. Coordinating
ixty ( 60) days after approval
a new offer of reward for
reward can be paid to a claimant, the GIB Lieutenant, via the of Police, shall provide adequate verification to the City Council that the nant is eligible to receive payment. A person shall be deemed ineligible for a award if he/ she is:
Employed by a law enforcement agency, or any other organization that compensates its employees for performing acts relating to the investigation of or reporting of crimes,
Acting as an agent for the suspect(s) and/or if the suspect(s) would benefit from the payment of the reward,
A public official,
Any relative of the above.
Again, atl requestsfor a reward offer shall not be etigible for consideration, if in the judgement of the Chief of Police, it is unnecessary and/or may jeopardize any ongoing investigation, etc.
Additionally, the claimant(s) must provide continual cooperation within the Criminal Justice System relative to the case for which the offer of reward is made, and if necessary, testify in court.
Section 53069.7 of the California Government Code makes a distinction on the 21-55. 49 - 3
PeopleServing
People
CITY OF RIVERSIDE
CITY COUNCIL MEMORANDUM
Riverside
All- AmericaCity
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: November 21, 2000 ITEM NO: 19
SUBJECT: Riverside Reward Procram
BACKGROUND:
Over the past two years there has been much discussion at community meetings in Casa Blanca about the apprehensionof murder suspects. At one of these meetings, Ms. PeggyHaro, a sister of a murder victim asked Council Member Maureen Kane and Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Team Officer Bruce Loftus to explore the feasibility of a reward program in Riverside. This concept was also endorsed by the members of the Community Action Group (GAG) in that neighborhood.
Council Member Kane and Officer Lot~us conducted research into various types of reward programs and then presentedtheir findings to the Police Department. Council Member Kane and Officer LoBus asked that the Police Department review their findings and present a report to the City Council on the merits of implementing a Reward Program.
Following review of the proposal from Council Member Kane and Officer Loftus, the Police Departmentendorses their recommendation that the City of Riverside implement a Reward Program. Their proposed Reward Prog'am is consistent with the Problem Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS) Philosophy of the Riverside Police Department.
The Police Department believes there are certain criminal cases that might only be solved when one or morn individuals having knowledgeabout a crime, but who would not otherwise be motivated without knowing that she/he might be eligible to receive a monetary award, come forward to provide information to detectives. The need to offer monetary rewards will generallybe limited to only those types of cases. Additionally, the assigneddetective must have exhausted all other investigativeleads and she/he must have determined that unless someone comes forward to provide information it is unlikely that the criminal case will be solved. Eligibility to receive monetary rewards from local governmentalagencie~ is goremealb~' State law. Therefore, in accordance with sections 53069.5 and 53069.7 of the California Government Code, eligibility to receive rewards will be limited to individuals providinginformation that directlyleads to the determination of the identity of and the apprehensionof, any person whose willful misconduct results in inju~y or death to any person or who willfully damagesor destroys any property. 21-7
However, in State law there is a distinction for rewards offered for crimes involving the killing or assault wi deadlyweapon or inflicting serious bodily harm upon a peace officer who is acting in the line of duty. In instances, the information providedmust lead to the arrest an d conviction of the responsibleperson or pers rather than identification and apprehension). , Requestsfor an offer of a reward for a particular criminal case may originate from any member of thepublic, Council, and/or the Police Department. However, requests shall not be considered if, in the judgementof the Po Chief, the offering of a reward is unnecessary to solve the case and/or it might jeopardize the ongoing crim investigation. Additionally, aperson shall be deemed ineligible for a reward if she/he is:
Employed by a law enforcement agency, or any other organization that compensates its employees performing acts relating to the investigation of or reportingon crimes, Acting as an agent for the suspect(s) and/or if the suspect(s) would benefit from the payment of the rewm A public official
Any relative of the above.
The proposedReward Programwould placeresponsibility with the Police Chief to recommend to the City Cou that a reward be offered on a particular criminal case. If approved, any offer of a reward for a particular trim case would automatically expire sixty (60) days following the date of approval by the City Council. Individ must provide information to detectives within the sixty (60) daytime limit to be eligible for consideration to rec a reward. A draft Police Department Policy that describes in detail how the Reward Program would opera attached.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Actual total expenditures will be dependenton the City Council taking actions to approve the offering of rew on specific criminal cases and on eligible candidates coming forward to provide information to detectives. An recurring costs for the Reward Program are not expected to exceed $50, 000. Funding for the Reward Pro~ would need to be annually appropriatedfrom the General Fund for the express purpose of paying rewards to eli~ persons on offers approved by the City Council.
ALTERNATIVE:
Do not implement a Reward Program.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council refer this matter to its Public SafetyCommittee for further discussion and then return a ree0mmefiati0n to the Council:
21-8
Revision Date:
Approval:
Russ Leach
Chief of Police
5. 49 RIVERSIDE REWARD PROGRAM:
I. PURPOSE:
The Riverside Reward Program establishes a procedure for offedng monetary rewards for information that leads to the identification and apprehension of any person whose willful misconduct results in injury or death to any person, or who willfully damages or destroys any property. Additionally, it creates a partnership between the community, police, and city government by which citizens can feel secure providing information on unsolved crimes and/or outstanding suspects.
II.
A request for a reward offer may originate from a member of the Public, City Council, or Police Department.
This policy outlines the procedure for submittingr, ecommendationsand offering rewards and payment to claimants.
PROCEDURES:
Recluests for a Reward Offer:
All requests for an offer of a reward shall be submitted to the General Investigations (GIB) Lieutenant. The GIB Lieutenant shall consult with the Case Agent and forward a written recommendation to the Captain of Investigations.
The Captain will forward the recommendation to the Chief of Police or designee.
The Chief of Police or designee will review the internal recommendations and present a report with a . recommendation to the City Council. The City Council will approve, deny, or modify the recommendation. In doing so, they should strongly consider the recommendation of all the parties mentioned.
All requests for a reward offer shall not be eligible for consideration, if in the judgement o[ the Chief of Police, it is unnecessary and/or may jeopardize any ongoing investigation, etc.
B. Reward Offer Claims:
When information is received which may lead to a reward claim, the GIB Lieutenant shall:
Document the date the information is received and the name and address of the claimant until the case is adjudicated or otherwise completed. This is essential in establishing the inlormation was received during the 60-day period that the reward is valid.
Provide claimants with an Application for Special Reward Payment Attachment 1 ).
5. 49-1
21-10
III
IV.
A brief explanation as to the value of the claimant's contribution to the investigation.
A recommendation as to whether the reward should be paid 'to the claimant ( i. e., claimant's information was vital, helpful but not essential, of no value). In cases involving multiple claimants.. include a statement as to which claimants should receive a part of the reward, briefly explain the assistance provided by each claimant, and indicate the recommended percentage of the reward each claimant should receive.
Additionally, the GIB Lieutenant's responsibilities shall include:
Distributing and maintaining all correspondence associated with the program ( i. e., letters to/ from claimants, etc.).
Coordinating with detectives and the Case Agent regarding the status of their investigations and if additiona. nformat on is needed from callers.
Keeping all files associated with Riverside Reward Program updated and accurate.
2 Maintaining.all statistics for the program
Preparing public service announcements with the local media ( TV, radio, newspapers). (No PSA shall be distributed without prior approval from the Case Agent.)
Ensuring that claimant~ are advised as to the status of their cases.
Coordinating payment of rewards to claimants.
DURATION OF REWARD:
Offers of rewards approved by the City Council shall expire sixty (60) days after approval date. The City Council may renew the offer of reward by approving a new offer of reward for another 60-day time period.
VERIFICATION/ ELIGIBILITY:
Before a city- offeredreward can be paid to a claimant, the GIB Lieutenant, via the Chief of Police, shall provide adequate verification to the City Council that the claimant is eligible to receive payment.
Personsshallbe OeemeQineligibletot a rewarc if s/ he is:
Employed by a law enforcement agency, or any other organization that compensatesits employees for performing acts relating to the investigation of or reporting on crimes,
5, 49-3
21-12
1 RESOLUTION NO.
2 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE,
CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S 3 REWARD PROGRAM ESTABLISHING A PROCEDURE FOR OFFERING
MONETARY REWARDS FOR iNFORMATION LEADING TO THE
4 IDENTIFICATION AND APPREHENSION OF ANY PERSON WHOSE WILLFUL
MISCONDUCT RESULTS IN INJURY OR DEATH TO ANY PERSON OR
5 WILLFULLY DAMAGES OR DESTROYS ANY PROPERTY OR FOR
INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF A PERSON 6 KILLING OR ASSAULTING A PEACE OFFICER.
7 WHEREAS, the City of Riverside may offer and pay rewards as authorized by those 8 provisions of Sections 53069.5 and 53069.7 of the Government Code of the State of California; and 9 WHEREAS, Section 53069.5 specifically authorizes the City to offer and pay a reward, 10 the amount thereof to be determined by the City, for information leading to the determination of the 11 identity of, and the apprehensionof, any person whose willful misconduct results in injury or death 12 to any person or who willfully damagesor destroysany property; and 13 WHEREAS, Section 53069.7 specifically authorizes the City to offer and pay a reward, 14 the amount thereof to be determined by the City, to any person who comes to the aid of any peace 15 officer of the City of Riverside or who furnishes information leading to the arrest and conviction of 16 any person or persons killing or assaultingwith a deadly weapon or inflicting serious bodily harm 17 upon a peace officer of the City of Riverside while such officer is acting in the line of duty; and 18 WHEREAS, the Police Departmentbelieves there are certain criminal cases that might 19 only be solved when one or more individuals havingknowledge about a crime, but who would not 20 otherwise be motivated without knowing that he or she might be eligible to receive a monetary 21 reward, come forward to provideinformation to detectives; and 22 WHEREAS, the Reward Programcreates a partnershipbetween the community, police, 23 and City government by which citizens can provide information on unsolved crimes and/or Z4 0utstancXingsuspectsin seriouscases affectingpublicsafety; 25 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Riverside, 26 California, that the Riverside Reward Program is hereby approvedand authorized for 27 implementationby the City of Riverside Police Department as stated above and in conformance City Aflorney'sOffice
3900Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
909) 826-5567
21-14