It's a political problem rather than a legal-powers problem; most mayors and city council members are (rightly) afraid of the local police union publicly callin

It's a political problem rather than a legal-powers problem; most mayors and city council members are (rightly) afraid of the local police union publicly calling them out. That's why, even at the local level, forfeiture reform usually needs to be bundled with other, more broadly popular policing reforms. There isn't a critical mass of people lit up over asset forfeiture in most communities. Other attack vectors include: * Qualified immunity reform packaged as a way to more easily get rid of bad cops. * Collective bargaining transparency so the public (and even the city council) can see what tactics the union is using in contract negotiations.