Asset seizures fuel police spending
washingtonpost.com
Asset seizures fuel police spending
1–10 of 69 posts
Re: Asset seizures fuel police spending
#2John Oliver did a segment on this - http://youtu.be/3kEpZWGgJks
One thing that doesn't seem to be covered is how it changes the motivation to seize contraband, as it is much more profitable to wait until the contraband is sold and then seize the money.
Re: Asset seizures fuel police spending
#3A more explicit one on this subject, (don't be black while carrying valuables or police will assume you stole them):
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-texas-pro...
Re: Asset seizures fuel police spending
#4The law as it reads is simply too much of an incentive to take everything you can lay your hands on knowing there is little chance of having to give it back. Until there is a requirement that the reason for seizure is backed up by conviction, so you have to give it back later if you can't make the crime stick.
Re: Asset seizures fuel police spending
#5A more explicit one on this subject, (don't be black while carrying valuables or police will assume you stole them): http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-texas-pro...
I'm slightly surprised the parent link hasn't been substituted yet.
Re: Asset seizures fuel police spending
#6If the Washington Post, and others, would turn the same eye on any other organization, they would have a field day of things they would find, but it wouldn't sell as many newspapers. The problem is, they make it sound like all police have these issues (and others they "report" on) when the reality is far from it.
Someone will comment, "But the police shouldn't be doing this and it's a government institution!!", as if such institutions are not run by human beings but angels from God.
Re: Asset seizures fuel police spending
#7A more explicit one on this subject, (don't be black while carrying valuables or police will assume you stole them): http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-texas-pro...
I wonder if the police are assuming the blacks stole what is clearly not stolen...
or if the police simply realize they can steal from the blacks ?
Those are two different problems at heart. Of course, it doesn't make much of a difference for the blacks.
Re: Asset seizures fuel police spending
#8A more explicit one on this subject, (don't be black while carrying valuables or police will assume you stole them): http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-texas-pro...
I read the whole WaPo article hoping they'd stop listing the things purchased with the funds (who cares?) and instead talk about where they got the funds and what percentage of seizures are dubious / fraudulent.
The Chicago link provides a narrow window into that question, and it doesn't look good.
For instance I have a nice painting on the wall that a friend created. There's no paper trail of how I got it. Does that mean I continue to own it only at the pleasure of the police?
I'm less worried about my major assets, but what if someone decided I could have been using my house as a venue to write code that could be used for illegal purposes? Do I have to prove every library on my Github account can only be used for legal purposes or risk having my house and laptop seized?
Is the reason the answers to those questions is "no" merely because I'm white, prominent, and a political donor? How is this different from Putin's Russia? (Aside from in degree.)
Re: Asset seizures fuel police spending
#9If the Washington Post, and others, would turn the same eye on any other organization, they would have a field day of things they would find, but it wouldn't sell as many newspapers. The problem is, they make it sound like all police have these issues (and others they "report" on) when the reality is far from it. Someone will comment, "But the police shouldn't be doing this and it's a government institution!!", as if…
So.. is this a boys will be boys scenario? I'm not understanding your general point. It's clear these cops were operating like a mob organization, as do many precincts in this country. I see no harm in highlighting some wrong doing in hopes it'll curb other departments from doing the same.
Re: Asset seizures fuel police spending
#10If the Washington Post, and others, would turn the same eye on any other organization, they would have a field day of things they would find, but it wouldn't sell as many newspapers. The problem is, they make it sound like all police have these issues (and others they "report" on) when the reality is far from it. Someone will comment, "But the police shouldn't be doing this and it's a government institution!!", as if…
What other organization routinely takes and keeps assets from US citizens without permission?