4 ms·

The feds have resumed controversial program that lets cops take stuff and keep it

31 points by ZoeZoeBee 11y ago

ZoeZoeBee 11y ago
If you've been made aware at how little evidence is necessary for the authorities to seize your cash and then the near impossibility of getting it back once its taken even if never convicted you may ask yourself who is the thief? Interesting to see over $5 Billion a Year in Assets are now lost to forfeiture while total assets lost to Burglary have fallen below $4 Billion. The Washington Post has been one of the few media outlets to give this issue any attention, here is a link to the past articles they've done the last few years on Asset Forfeiture. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/collection/stop-and-seize-2/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/collection/st...
citizensixteen 11y ago
What surprises me is how little media coverage asset seizure is getting. Why is asset seizure not covered more by the media and why is everyone so complacent about it?
- erroneousfunk 11y ago
  A couple thoughts: It does get a fair amount of media coverage. John Oliver did a segment on it, it has multiple NYTimes articles, big articles in the Washington Post and the New Yorker, and all the usual places. It's not really "unknown" unless you don't read the news much. I feel like it's not talked about much outside of the media, however. We talk about burglary a lot. We lock things up and hide valuables in cars. But civil forfeiture just doesn't come up too often in daily life for most people. Why are people complacent about it? For the same reasons they're complacent about mandatory minimum sentencing. The victims are disproportionately black and hispanic. Whether or not they're actually engaging in illegal activity, they often have ties to drugs/prostitution -- perhaps through a relative, roommate, friend or colleague. The victims may also be poor (the population most likely to be unbanked and, ironically, have large amounts of cash around). They're often profiled to be people unlikely to go out and get a lawyer or navigate the system to get their property back.
  - citizensixteen 11y ago
    Thanks for the perspective, you made some good points. I was surprised to see there was a move towards forfeiture reform and then it swings back to business as usual. Even more surprised that, "it's not talked about much outside of the media." Perhaps it's just one of those things we think will 'never effect' us and if it does there is not much you can do if you end up in a forfeiture situation.

31 points by ZoeZoeBee 11y ago

If you've been made aware at how little evidence is necessary for the authorities to seize your cash and then the near impossibility of getting it back once its taken even if never convicted you may ask yourself who is the thief? Interesting to see over $5 Billion a Year in Assets are now lost to forfeiture while total assets lost to Burglary have fallen below $4 Billion. The Washington Post has been one of the few media outlets to give this issue any attention, here is a link to the past articles they've done the last few years on Asset Forfeiture. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/collection/stop-and-seize-2/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/collection/st...

citizensixteen 11y ago

What surprises me is how little media coverage asset seizure is getting. Why is asset seizure not covered more by the media and why is everyone so complacent about it?

erroneousfunk 11y ago
A couple thoughts: It does get a fair amount of media coverage. John Oliver did a segment on it, it has multiple NYTimes articles, big articles in the Washington Post and the New Yorker, and all the usual places. It's not really "unknown" unless you don't read the news much. I feel like it's not talked about much outside of the media, however. We talk about burglary a lot. We lock things up and hide valuables in cars. But civil forfeiture just doesn't come up too often in daily life for most people. Why are people complacent about it? For the same reasons they're complacent about mandatory minimum sentencing. The victims are disproportionately black and hispanic. Whether or not they're actually engaging in illegal activity, they often have ties to drugs/prostitution -- perhaps through a relative, roommate, friend or colleague. The victims may also be poor (the population most likely to be unbanked and, ironically, have large amounts of cash around). They're often profiled to be people unlikely to go out and get a lawyer or navigate the system to get their property back.
- citizensixteen 11y ago
  Thanks for the perspective, you made some good points. I was surprised to see there was a move towards forfeiture reform and then it swings back to business as usual. Even more surprised that, "it's not talked about much outside of the media." Perhaps it's just one of those things we think will 'never effect' us and if it does there is not much you can do if you end up in a forfeiture situation.