A. The Office of the Attorney General, at the request of the court, shall determine whether a local crimestoppers program is qualified to receive repayments of rewards pursuant to Section 1 of this act. The Office of the Attorney General shall approve the local crimestoppers program to receive those repayments if, considering the organization, continuity, leadership, community support, audit pursuant to subsection B of this section and general conduct of the program, the Office of the Attorney General determines that the repayments will be spent to further the crime prevention purposes of the program.

B. Prior to certification by the Office of the Attorney General for a local crimestoppers program to receive repayments pursuant to Section 1 of this act, each program is subject to an audit by an independent accounting firm which must be submitted to the Office of the Attorney General for review. In order to maintain certification, the program shall be so audited each year and the audit submitted prior to July 1 of each year.

C. The Office of the Attorney General may certify a local crimestoppers program for purposes of Section 1 of this act even if a judge has not requested a determination for that program and may maintain a current list of approved local crimestoppers programs.

D. A local crimestoppers program certified by the Office of the Attorney General to receive repayments pursuant to Section 1 of this act shall use that money for the sole purpose of rewards to persons who report information on criminal activity only if that information leads to a defendant being indicted for or charged by information with a felony offense.

Added by Laws 1991, c. 17, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.