BY RAYMOND MENDOZA
Walnut –- Members of the Walnut City Council held a special meeting on Monday, March 10, to discuss and consider a number of resolutions for the City. This took the place of the regular Wednesday City Council meeting.
Council members, after seeing that no minutes and public hearings were scheduled for the agenda, quickly approved three items on the consent calendar including Resolution No. 14-12, which allows certain claims and demands in the amount of $313,009.09; Resolution No. 14-13, concerning the direction and filing of the Engineer’s Report for the 2014-15 Lighting and Open Space Maintenance Assessments; and the Award Bid of the 2013-14 Maintenance Area 2 Slurry Seal Program.
At the insistence of Council Member Mary Su, Walnut’s Senior Management Analyst, Rosalea Layman explained the details of the City’s proposed Crime Tip Reward Program. Layman explained that reporting a tip to the police department is the first step in the program and that the reporting individual would receive a reward after a conviction is established.
“It’s difficult to gauge when (the reward will be disbursed) because sometimes it takes a while for a conviction to be determined,” Layman said. “But that is per our program and as soon as we do get the conviction, our staff can review the tip and award the reward.” Layman also confirmed that each successful crime tip that leads to a conviction would be rewarded with $100.
Captain Jeff Scroggin of the Walnut Sheriff’s Department said that a recent tip in the Three Oaks area of Walnut led to the arrest of three individuals who were in the area with the purpose of burglarizing a home.
“The tip from the resident helped us catch those people,” Scroggin said. “That’s what we’re always after. Great information that would lead us to these criminals that come into the City.”
After Scroggin addressed the council, Council Member Nancy Tragarz reaffirmed her stance that reporting crimes should not be rewarded and that citizens should be willing to help out the police without an incentive. The item was approved with Tragarz giving a dissenting vote.
After the council member’s announcements of events from around the City, Mayor Tony Cartagena officially adjourned the meeting at 7:35 p.m.
