Police Department Wants to Cash in Old Money

Cash and coins that accumulated in a police department safe finally got some attention after 22 years, when city officials decided to count it and put it into a bank account for safe-keeping. With accrued interest since then, the windfall has grown to $84,000.

On Tuesday night, Pinole Police Chief John Hardester will ask the Pinole City Council to start a legal process in which that money can be moved into the city's general fund. The item is on the council agenda's consent calendar, which typically includes non-controversial items that can be passed with one vote.

The money, collected in police activities between 1986 and 2008, includes found property, collected evidence and assets seized in arrests. In 2008, city police and finance staff decided to count it and place it in a Bank of the West account.

More recently Hardester asked the finance department about the process required to place the bank funds into the city's general fund budget.

Pinole City Attorney Ben Reyes advised Hardester that the city must follow certain procedures before claiming the money as its own. According to the state government code, the city must twice publish a public notice in a the legal section of a local newspaper. The notice must disclose the amount of money and the city's intention to claim it. State law then allows members of the public or organizations 45 days from the date that the first public notice is published to submit a claim form that describes the dollar amount sought by the claim and the grounds for claiming it.

The portion of money that receives no claim requests can them be transferred to the city. After being reviewed, any submitted claims can be rejected by city staff. Claimants then have 30 days to appeal denied claims in court.

City staff are recommending that the money left over after the claim period be placed into the police reserve fund.

Hardester declined to comment about why the money went unused for so many years.