2A-9.004. Funding Requirements

(1) All deliverables must be funded in whole or in part with grant funds.

(2) A minimum of 50 percent of the total grant funds must be allocated to the budget category of Rewards and Public Education with no more than 15% of the total grant funds being designated for the purchase of promotional materials.

(a) Budget line items associated with rewards shall include, but are not limited to, rewards to tipsters, costs of tip lines, costs for answering services, software to disseminate tips and law enforcement coordinator’s cell phone.

(b) Budget line items associated with public education shall include, but are not limited to, re-enactments, billboards, brochures, bus-wraps, electronic media, program public awareness, and promotional materials.

(3) Operating Expenses shall include, but are not limited to:

(a) Budget line items relating to general office expenses, educational purposes, travel, and equipment.

(b) Budget line items associated with the payment of dues are for the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers, Southeastern Crime Stoppers Association and Crime Stoppers U.S.A. Requests for reimbursement of dues for another organization will be reviewed by the Department for approval, which will be based upon the organization’s connection with Crime Stoppers and furtherance of its crime fighting goals.

(c) Budget line items associated specifically with travel must adhere to guidelines established in the Department Travel policy.

(d) Travel outside of the continental United States is prohibited.

(4) Up to a maximum of 30 percent of the total grant funds may be designated allocated to the budget category of Salary and Benefits. Funds shall only be eligible for use for civilians employed by a crime stoppers organization, law enforcement personnel serving in the capacity of “law enforcement coordinator” and/or civilian support staff employed by the law enforcement agencies whose regularly scheduled duties are dedicated to the crime stoppers organization.

(a) Salary and benefits funding shall not include, on-call time, performance bonuses, special detail pay, stand-by or call-back time.

(b) Only that percentage of time dedicated to the crime stoppers organization shall be funded.

(c) Those unused Salary and Benefits funds, with the approval of the Department, may be used in the Operating Expense, or Rewards and Public Education categories.

(d) Governmental employees’ holiday pay shall be calculated pursuant to the holiday pay policy set by the employee’s governmental agency. Non-governmental employees are eligible to be paid for State of Florida recognized holidays at a rate calculated at 1.5 times their regular hourly rate.

(5) At the end of each grant period, unexpended advance payments and other unused funds shall be returned to the department to be re-deposited into the Crime Stoppers Trust Fund.

(6) Payment must be made and services must be provided before reimbursement by the Department can be made.

(7) Mission critical expenses can be paid upon express written approval of the Department, by one Official Member for another, upon written request and provided that:

(a) The program seeking to make payment has sufficient funds available in the appropriate budget category;

(b) The program seeking to receive payment has exhausted all alternative payment options; and,

(c) The expense is not included in the budget category of Salary and Benefits.

(8) Notwithstanding the above, an Official Member, upon written request and with express written approval of the Department, can pay all allowable expenses associated with a single criminal act out of funds previously awarded, provided that:

(a) The criminal act at issue to the request creates an unexpected and substantial increase in expenses which could not have been anticipated in the Official Member’s budget request;

(b) The Official Member has sufficient funds available in their current total grant award; and,

(c) The Official Member documents and separately reports those allowable expenses directly related to the crime at issue to the request.

Rulemaking Authority 16.555(6) FS. Law Implemented 16.555, 16.556, 938.06 FS. History‒New 6-22-15, Amended 2-7-17, 5-16-17, 1-17-18, 8-20-18, 4-17-22.