Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

How Police Profit by Seizing Private Property
Kingsport Times News ^ | April 12th, 2010

Posted on 04/12/2010 11:37:26 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Police and prosecutors’ offices seize private property—often without ever charging the owners with a crime — then keep or sell what they’ve taken and use the profits to fund their budgets. And considering law enforcement officials in most states don’t report the value of what they collect or how that bounty is spent, the issue raises serious questions about both government transparency and accountability.

Under state and federal civil asset forfeiture laws, law enforcement agencies can seize and keep property suspected of involvement in criminal activity. Unlike criminal asset forfeiture, however, with civil forfeiture, a property owner need not be found guilty of a crime—or even charged—to permanently lose her cash, car, home or other property.

According to the Institute for Justice civil asset forfeiture is one of the worst abuses of property rights today. The Institute has released a national study on civil forfeiture abuse. The report—Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture - is the most comprehensive national study to examine the use and abuse of civil asset forfeiture and the first study to grade the civil forfeiture laws of all 50 states and the federal government. The report finds that by giving law enforcement a direct financial incentive in pursuing forfeitures and stacking the legal deck against property owners, most state and federal laws encourage policing for profit rather than seeking the neutral administration of justice. (For additional resources on this report, visit: http://www.ij.org/PolicingForProfit. For a brief video on this topic, visit: www.ij.org/Forfeiture.)

The problem is growing. For example, in 2008, for the first time in its history, the Department of Justice’s forfeiture fund topped $1 billion in assets taken from property owners and now available to law enforcement. State data reveal that state and local law enforcement also use forfeiture extensively: From 2001 to 2002, currency forfeitures alone in just nine states totaled more than $70 million. Considering this measure excludes cars and other forfeited property as well as forfeiture estimates from many states for which data were unreliable or that did not make data available for those years, this already-large figure represents just the tip of the forfeiture iceberg.

Read the full report at the Institute for Justice Web site


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News; Government
KEYWORDS: government; police; propertyrights
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-33 last
To: nickcarraway

I’m seeing more tow trucks accompanying CHP cruisers along major highways in Silicon Valley than ever. They’re looking for cars with expired plates, which means lots of fees split between the towing company and the CHP.


21 posted on 04/13/2010 5:03:20 AM PDT by jiggyboy (Ten per cent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: backhoe

Give Pee Wee back his stuff.


22 posted on 04/13/2010 5:21:33 AM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Yeah, but it is done in the name of the War On Drugs, so it’s o.k.


23 posted on 04/13/2010 7:16:46 AM PDT by zeugma (Waco taught me everything I needed to know about the character of the U.S. Government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide
It is a police state. You can’t do a thing about it. Except turn to anarchy.

Don't confuse anarchy with patriotism.

24 posted on 04/13/2010 7:19:22 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Fresh Wind

I really would like to have an original of that poster. It will be worth something someday.


25 posted on 04/13/2010 7:19:27 AM PDT by zeugma (Waco taught me everything I needed to know about the character of the U.S. Government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: jiggyboy

I haven’t even seen that yet.


26 posted on 04/13/2010 8:28:41 AM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: wally_bert

Indeed. What makes it poignant, is that it’s based on true events:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wineville_Chicken_Coop_Murders


27 posted on 04/13/2010 10:46:07 AM PDT by James C. Bennett
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: max americana

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4097602514885833865#

I’m sure you’ve watched this. I’m posting the link for those who might not have.


28 posted on 04/13/2010 10:47:10 AM PDT by James C. Bennett
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: chilltherats

Ping to #28.

Enjoy!


29 posted on 04/13/2010 10:48:43 AM PDT by James C. Bennett
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: James C. Bennett

I can’t play videos on this machine. Thanks, though.

Maybe you can tell me what’s on the video? Thx.


30 posted on 04/13/2010 2:44:19 PM PDT by chilltherats (First, kill all the lawyers (now that they ARE the tyrants).......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

“”The lowest-graded states overall, combining both poor laws and aggressive use of equitable sharing, are Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Each received overall grades of D-.””

Bookmark


31 posted on 04/13/2010 2:48:45 PM PDT by dragnet2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chilltherats

It’s about what you said. It’s an entire lecture by a lawyer and a police chief, explaining the legal provisions that keep an accused at the best advantage, by not talking to the police.

It is an excellent lecture, and I insist you save the link and watch the entire video, whenever possible. It is extremely educational.


32 posted on 04/13/2010 11:56:15 PM PDT by James C. Bennett
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: James C. Bennett

Thank you.

I will indeed save the link. If we ever find the restore disk for the new computer we can put this 10 yr. old POS back in moth balls.


33 posted on 04/14/2010 1:07:34 AM PDT by chilltherats (First, kill all the lawyers (now that they ARE the tyrants).......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-33 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson