A new study provides further evidence that property seizures are driven by financial motives rather than public safety concerns.
by Jacob Sullum
Reason.com
Civil asset forfeiture, which allows police to seize property they allege is connected to crime without arresting or charging the owner, has provoked intense criticism in the United States, especially during the last decade. The critics argue that the practice demolishes due process and undermines property rights, giving cops a license to steal from innocent people who often lack the resources to resist.
In response, defenders of civil forfeiture argue that it deters and incapacitates drug traffickers by confiscating their profits, along with assets they use for production and distribution. The tactic’s supporters also say the revenue it yields helps fight drug trafficking and other kinds of crime because it supplements the budgets of law enforcement agencies.