It probably seemed like a bright idea at the
time: Let the police seize the ill-gotten gains of alleged drug
dealers and other suspected criminals and sell it, using the
proceeds to buy much-needed crime-fighting gear.
Unfortunately, the process—civil asset forfeiture—did not
require convicting anybody of a crime. In fact, it didn’t even
require charging anybody with a crime. Not surprisingly, writes A.
Barton Hinkle, this led to rampant abuse, which has been abundantly
documented for many years. Various reform efforts, including a 2000
federal law, have been unable to stop what’s become known as
policing for profit.
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