Guidelines for the City of Sacramento Illegal Dumping Reward Program

Citizens can call 311, use www.sac311.org or the Sac311 app for iPhone and Android to report an illegal dumping incident. If they witness the dumping or have information that leads to a citation or arrest of the violator they may be eligible for a reward.

• Upon receipt of the information, City staff will investigate.
• In order for a report to be reward eligible, a sworn statement from the reporting citizen(s) is required and will be collected by City code enforcement officers or police. 
• Other factors in determining eligibility for a reward will be:
  • If the information furnished directly led to a citation or arrest of the violator without further need for investigation
  • If the information furnished included the name, physical description, or other information about the identity of the violator sufficient to lead law enforcement to be able to cite or arrest the violator.
  • If photographs provided by the citizen(s) making the report, or other evidence of the violation is provided which leads law enforcement directly to the violator
  • Whether other information is provided that proves to be a significant factor in the citing or arresting the violator.
• City staff investigating the incident will make a recommendation to the City manager regarding the issuance of a reward.

Limits on issuance

1. Recipients must be over the age of 18. In the event the witness is a minor, the reward shall be furnished to the minor's parents and/or legal guardian.  

2. Only one reward is to be paid out per person, per incident. The fact that the same person furnished two or more pieces of information that led to the citation or arrest and conviction of a violator shall not result in the issuance of additional rewards.

3. In the event that one or more persons furnish identical information leading to the citation or arrest and conviction of the violator, as determined by the City staff, the reward shall be evenly divided among those persons.

4. In an effort to ensure that sufficient funds. are available and encourage as many different members of the public as possible to be 'vigilant' about illegal dumping issues, there shall be a limit of no more than five (5) separate rewards, or partial rewards; with a total sum of $2,500 payable to any single person per calendar year.

Persons ineligible for reward

Those persons, including member of their families, who are determined by law enforcement to have in any way committed, participated, encourage, allowed or facilitated the illegal dumping to occur;

• Corporations and other persons other than natural persons;
• Law enforcement personnel;
• City enforcement personnel;
• Public agency personnel responsible for enforcement of rules, regulations, laws and codes, and members of their families;
• Public agency personnel responsible for maintenance and monitoring of public property, public areas and public rights of way, and members of their families
• Security guards and similar personnel;
• Private personnel responsible or enforcement of regulations, monitoring and/or maintaining property and other areas, including apartment managers, resident managers, maintenance staff and similar personnel;
• The property owner and/or occupant whose property was used as the illegal dump site in the incident