Los Angeles Municipal Code Art. 6 Secret Service Account

Section 22.242 Creation of the Account. 22.243 Purpose of the Account. 22.244 Chief May Draw Demands Against the Account. 22.245 Accounting Procedures. 22.246 Confidential Information. 22.247 Authentication by the Controller. 22.248 Informants Not “Employees”. 22.249 Authorization to Secure Opinions of Experts. 22.250 Duties of Chief – Who May Perform. 22.251 Penalties.

There is hereby established a Secret Service Account to be administered by the Chief of Police as General Manager of the Department of Police. All appropriations made to the Department of Police for Secret Service work shall be placed to the credit of said account.

SECTION HISTORY

Based on Ord. No. 83,550.

Moneys in said account may be used by the Chief of Police for the Chief’s expenses incurred in criminal cases arising within the City of Los Angeles, in which the people of the City or the people of the State of California are interested, and for such expenses necessarily incurred by the Chief in the detection of crime. The Chief of Police shall not disburse or permit any of said Secret Service Account to be used:

(1) for augmenting the salary or allowance of any member of the Department of Police for personal services;

(2) for any fixtures, equipment or supplies for the general use of the Department;

(3) for the employment of any personnel, otherwise required to be supplied from the Classified Civil Service.

SECTION HISTORY

Based on Ord. No. 83,550

As required, the Chief of Police may draw demands against said moneys, payable to the Chief of Police, and upon receipt of said moneys shall thereafter safely keep them and expend them for Secret Service purposes. It shall be sufficient in drawing demands on the Secret Service Account to designate the purpose thereof as “for Secret Service” and the Controller may audit any such demand or warrant and the City Treasurer may pay the same without further specification as to object.

SECTION HISTORY

Based on Ord. No. 83,550.

The Chief of Police shall submit to the City Controller, monthly or oftener, a detailed account showing amounts and general purposes for which the Chief expended or caused to be expended the funds so paid to the Chief. So far as possible and consistent with the public safety, the City Controller may require such statement to specify each expenditure made, the receipt thereof and the investigation of cause involved.

SECTION HISTORY

Based on Ord. No. 83,550.

When, in the opinion of the Chief of Police, the public interest would suffer by the disclosure of the name of any person to whom any sum or sums were paid or advanced, or the cause for which the same was expended or advanced, such record shall be maintained confidential, in the public interest. For accounting purposes, the Chief of Police may indicate the name of such person or describe the police operation by an appropriate key or symbol. The Chief of Police shall not be compelled to disclose the identity of such operative or operation to any officer or person except to the Board of Police Commissioners, the City Controller, or to the Chairperson of the Budget and Finance Committee of the City Council, or to the Chairperson of the Public Safety Committee of the City Council, on their written request; and any disclosures made as required hereunder shall be maintained confidential by the City Controller, Board of Police Commissioners or Chairperson of the Budget and Finance Committee of the City Council, or to the Chairperson of the Public Safety Committee of the City Council, excepting where such disclosures reveal illegal use of such funds or malfeasance in relation thereto.

SECTION HISTORY

Based on Ord. No. 83,550. Amended by: Ord. No. 150,582, Eff. 3-24-78, Oper. 4-1-78; Ord. No. 164,741, Eff. 5-27-89, Oper. 7-1-89.

The Controller shall not authenticate any demand upon the Treasurer, drawn by or payable to the Chief of Police for Secret Service purposes as aforesaid, until the Chief of Police shall first have accounted to the Controller in person, as required herein, for all amounts previously advanced, showing the balance of such account still in the Chief of Police’s hands and unaccounted for, and it shall be the duty of the City Controller to inspect and approve such accounting

SECTION HISTORY

Based on Ord. No. 83,550.

Any person, other than a regular employee of the City of Los Angeles who for a consideration or otherwise furnishes special information to the Department of Police in individual instances or for limited periods shall not be deemed to be an employee of this City for any purpose. Such persons paid by the Chief of Police from the Secret Service Account for Secret Service information shall have no right to Workers’ Compensation, leave, vacation, or retirement, or any other emolument, right or privilege of employees of the City of Los Angeles; and it is further found and declared that such special services do not permit competitive bidding under Charter Sections 371 and 372, because of their special nature.

SECTION HISTORY

Based on Ord. No. 83,550. Amended by: Ord. No. 173,290, Eff. 6-30-00, Oper. 7-1-00.

The Chief of Police may, in the course of Secret Service investigations, expend the funds thereof in securing the opinion of handwriting experts, experts in ballistics, and other experts in police science necessary to the conduct of crime prevention and detection by the Department, without individual reference to the Council, under Charter Section 1001; subject to approval of the Civil Service Commission.

SECTION HISTORY

Based on Ord. No. 83,550. Amended by: Ord. No. 173,290, Eff. 6-30-00, Oper. 7-1-00.

Whenever the City Controller or Chief of Police is mentioned herein, the powers and duties conferred may be exercised or performed by a deputy of either officer, as designated by the City Controller or Chief of Police.

SECTION HISTORY

Based on Ord No. 83,550.

Any person who violates any of the provisions or fails to comply with any of the mandatory requirements of this article is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punishable by a fine of not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period of not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. It shall be a misdemeanor for any person to expend or cause to be expended funds from the Secret Service Account for political purposes.

SECTION HISTORY

Based on Ord. No. 83,550. Amended by: Ord. No. 160,064, eff 7-28-85.