Los Angeles Municipal Code Art. 2 Payment of Vandalism and Graffiti Reward

Section

• 19.129.1 Creation of Fund.

• 19.129.2 Procedure for Establishment of Eligibility to Receive Reward.

• 19.129.3 Payment Limitations.

• 19.129.4 Interest.

• 19.129.5 Annual Activity Report.

1. A trust fund entitled “Vandalism and Graffiti Reward Trust Fund”, to be administered by the City Clerk, is hereby established in the City Treasury. The Fund shall be for the deposit of money for the payment of rewards to persons who have provided information leading to the offender’s: (1) identification; (2) apprehension; and (3) conviction or final adjudication by the Juvenile Court, or placement on a supervised program by the probation officer under the provisions of the Welfare and Institutions Code of the State of California.

2. The City may provide an appropriation to the Fund in the budget each year as a part of the appropriations to the Special Purpose Funds, and the City Council, subject to the approval of the Mayor, may appropriate other money from time to time during the year, as needed, to accomplish the payment of rewards provided for in this article.

3. All monetary gifts, contributions or bequests accepted by the City for the purposes set forth herein shall be placed in the Fund. All gifts, contributions or bequests to the Fund which exceed $5,000 shall be submitted to the City Council for acceptance or rejection. All gifts, contribution or bequests of $5,000 or less may be accepted or rejected by the City Clerk.

SECTION HISTORY

Added by Ord. No. 164,743, Eff. 5-21-89.

Amended by: Ord. No. 166,507, Eff. 1-20-91; Subsec. 3, Ord. No. 167,975, Eff. 7-13-92; Ord. No. 184,048, Eff. 3-7-16.

1. For the purposes of this article, “graffiti” means any form of unauthorized inscription, word, figure or design which is marked, etched, scratched, drawn, sprayed, painted or otherwise affixed to or on any surface of public or private property, including but not limited to buildings, walls, signs, structures or places, or other surfaces regardless of its content or nature and regardless of the nature of the material of that structural component or property.

2. The City of Los Angeles may offer and pay a reward of $2,000 in response to acts of a graffiti-related vandalism or defacement that results in damage or destruction to public or private property in the City of Los Angeles.

3. Any person interested in seeking a reward under this article shall complete an “Information and Application for Reward” form prepared by and available from the Office of the City Clerk. In the event the applicant is under 18 years of age, the applicant’s parent or legal guardian must also sign the form indicating the parent’s or legal guardian’s consent to the submission of the application. The applicant shall mail the completed form to the Los Angeles Police Department (Department) at the address indicated on the form. All applications must be submitted within 60 days of the date of the act referred to in the application.

4. The Department shall review the completed form and if it believes the applicant has met the criteria of this article for receiving an award, shall transmit a report to the City Council recommending payment of a reward. In the event the information resulted in a final adjudication by the Juvenile Court or placement on a supervised program by the probation officer, the name of the juvenile shall not appear in the report. The Department shall comply with the confidentiality provisions of the Welfare and Institutions Code of the State of California. If the Department determines that the applicant has not met the criteria to receive a reward, then the Department shall, in writing, notify the applicant. If the applicant disagrees with the determination of the Department, the applicant may submit a written appeal to the City Council. The appeal shall set forth in writing the reasons why the person disagrees with the Department’s determination. All appeals shall be submitted to the City Clerk within 60 days after the date notification is sent. The City Council decision on the appeal shall be final.

5. Upon the Clerk’s receipt of the Department’s report recommending payment of a reward, the City Council may, by adoption of a motion, resolution or committee report, approve the payment of a reward to the applicant and instruct the City Clerk to file the necessary report with the City Controller to cause the reward to be paid from the Vandalism and Graffiti Reward Trust Fund.

SECTION HISTORY

Added by Ord. No. 164,743, Eff. 5-21-89.

Amended by: Ord. No. 166,507, Eff. 1-20-91; Subsecs. 2, 3, and 5, Ord. No. 167,975, Eff. 7-13-92; Subsecs. 2 and 5, Ord. No. 168,217, Eff. 10-3-92; Subsecs. 2 and 5, Ord. No. 174,798, Eff. 10-12-02; Subsec. 1, Ord. No. 180,708, Eff. 7-6-09; Ord. No. 184,048, Eff. 3-7-16.

1. The determination of whether a reward shall be paid by the City shall be at the sole discretion of the City Council, and neither the provisions of this article or the furnishing of information in response thereto shall create any legal right or claim to the payment of a reward.

2. The City Council shall have sole discretion in determining whether a reward shall be apportioned among two or more persons. In the event more than one person is entitled to share in the reward money, it shall be apportioned equally among claimants unless the City Council determines otherwise.

3. A reward shall be paid only to natural person or persons and no reward or portion thereof shall be paid to any corporation, business, club or other organization either directly or by virtue of any waiver or assignment on the part of a natural person who is the recipient of a reward.

4. No reward shall be paid to a public officer or employee whose employment includes law enforcement duties. Verification of eligibility shall be provided by the Department.

5. No reward shall be paid to any person who has already been or will be compensated by the person’s employer or paid in any manner for engaging in the actions which form the basis for claiming the reward. Verification of eligibility shall be provided by the Department.

6. No reward shall be paid to any person who committed or was involved in any of the acts of vandalism, graffiti or other defacement under consideration. Verification of eligibility shall be provided by the Department.

7. No reward provided for in this article shall be paid without the provisions of the article having been first satisfied and the City Council having first adopted a motion, resolution, or committee report providing for payment of the reward.

SECTION HISTORY

Added by Ord. No. 164,743, Eff. 5-21-89.

Amended by: Ord. No. 166,507, Eff. 1-20-91; Ord. No. 167,975, Eff. 7-13-92; Subsec. 2, Ord. No. 168,217, Eff. 10-3-92; Subsec. 2, Ord. No. 174,798, Eff. 10-12-02; Ord. No. 184,048, Eff. 3-7-16.

Interest accruing on money deposited into the Vandalism and Graffiti Trust Fund shall be distributed by the City Treasurer to the General Fund.

SECTION HISTORY

Added by Ord. No. 164,743, Eff. 5-21-89.

Amended by: Ord. No. 166,507, Eff. 1-20-91; Ord. No. 184,048, Eff. 3-7-16.

The City Clerk shall report to the City Council regarding and identifying all receipts into, and all expenditures out of, the Vandalism and Graffiti Reward Trust Fund, as well as the purposes for which the expenditures were made. Each report shall cover a fiscal year and shall be submitted within 60 days after the close of each fiscal year.

SECTION HISTORY

Added by Ord. No. 171,746, Eff. 11-9-97.

Amended by: Ord. No. 184,048, Eff. 3-7-16.