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Board establishes permanent homicide reward fund on first reading to help solve unsolved murders
Summary
Supervisors approved on first reading an ordinance to create a permanent San Francisco Homicide Reward Fund to pay up to $250,000 for information leading to arrest and conviction in unsolved murder cases, with eligibility limits and oversight provisions.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on March 22 passed on first reading an ordinance to establish a permanent San Francisco Homicide Reward Fund to offer monetary rewards for information leading to arrest and conviction in unsolved murders.
Board President London Breed, author of the ordinance, said the fund would allow rewards of up to $250,000 in cases where the police have exhausted investigative leads and the chief of police determines public assistance is necessary. "Each [homicide] is tragic," Breed said, adding that ad hoc rewards had been used in the past and the ordinance would create a regular process to respond to families seeking help.
The ordinance specifies that recipients cannot have been involved in the crime and allows the fund to accept annual budget appropriations and private donations; monies unspent carry forward. Breed thanked city attorneys and local advocates, and the clerk recorded that the ordinance passed unanimously on first reading.
Why it matters: Supporters said a permanent reward fund gives families and investigators a tool to solicit information and could encourage tips in otherwise cold cases. The fund formalizes a practice the city has used irregularly and places legal and administrative guardrails on when and how a reward can be offered.
Next steps: The ordinance passed on first reading; final adoption will follow the normal ordinance calendar. Breed said the fund will include reporting and limits to exclude anyone involved in the homicide from receiving the reward.
