Mississippi § 45-39-5 - Duties; powers and authority.

§ 45-39-5. Duties; powers and authority.

The council may contract with a person to serve as its director or, with the concurrence of the Commissioner of Public Safety, may employ an individual within the Department of Public Safety to serve as director. The council shall establish the authority and responsibilities of the director. The council shall: Advise and assist in the creation of local crime stoppers programs; Foster the detection of crime and encourage persons to report information about criminal acts; Encourage news and other media to promote local crime stoppers programs and to inform the public of the functions of the council; Assist local crime stoppers programs in forwarding information about criminal acts to the appropriate law enforcement agencies; and Help law enforcement agencies detect and combat crime by increasing the flow of information to and between law enforcement agencies. The council may adopt rules to carry out its duties under this chapter. The assessments collected under subsection (5) of Section 99-19-73, Mississippi Code of 1972, and any other funds as may be made available through contributions from private or public sources, shall be deposited in a special fund that is hereby created in the State Treasury and designated the State Crime Stoppers Fund. Monies deposited in the fund shall be expended by the council, pursuant to appropriation therefor by the Legislature, for the authorized purposes of the State Crime Stoppers Program established under this chapter, including, but not limited to, providing reward monies for individuals who legitimately report crime activity. Any such funds paid to such individuals shall be kept confidential by the council, and any audit of the fund and the expenditures of the council shall provide for the confidentiality of any expenditures to such individuals. The Department of Public Safety shall have the authority to accept, budget and expend for any proper expenses of the Crime Stoppers Advisory Council any special source funds made available to the Crime Stoppers Program subject to the approval of the Department of Finance and Administration and in accordance with procedures for federal fund escalations as established in Section 27-104-21. The council shall have the authority to require financial statement reporting from any local crime stoppers program receiving any type of public funding, including, but not limited to, surcharges, assessments, fees or other funds paid directly to a local crime stoppers program by a municipal or county agency, including funds received under Section 45-39-17.