Asset Forfeiture Creates 'Perverse Incentive To Police For Profit'

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The law says you're innocent until proven guilty, right? But federal rules say the police can take your assets unless you can prove you got them legally. In North Carolina, police net millions of dollars a year -- even though state laws prohibit it. WUNC

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In November, Mooresville police seized nearly $17,000 from Jermaine Sanders on the mere suspicion that he got the money by selling drugs.

The process by which town police seized the cash is called civil asset forfeiture, and it's perfectly legal thanks to an equitable sharing program that allows local law enforcement to partner with the federal government. Police can seize cash or other assets on the suspicion that its tied to criminal activity, and it falls to the citizen to then challenge the seizure.Jermaine Sanders talks with his lawyer, Ashley Cannon, outside of a Statesville courtroom in February.

"And this literally allows police to not follow the law of their own state, and instead, follow federal forfeiture law, which is quite permissive," said Alban."That creates a perverse incentive to police for profit," said Alban."And we want to put an end to that so that people have a fair shake, and aren't being treated poorly by somebody who has a financial incentive to do so.

In an average year, more than 100 law enforcement agencies in North Carolina participate in the equitable sharing program. This includes large organizations like the State Highway Patrol and police departments from the large metro cities, down to small town police forces and county sheriff offices. When asked to provide examples when it has used the state's asset forfeiture process, Grube wrote,"That information is included in our criminal investigative files and would not be a public record."

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wunc I dislike law enFORCEment literally force in the title 🤷🏼‍♀️

wunc Wow. Y’all just learning about this and how awful it is? reason has been talking about this stuff for ages!

wunc your stuff has to prove it's innocent, this is why so many Cops have nice stuff .. because it your stuff and we know much of this stuff isn't making it's way back to the station

wunc America's largest gang.

wunc 这就是美国引以为傲的“自由平等”吗?

wunc Lol 😆 who’d have thunk the thuggish American police is corrupt and conniving

wunc This cannot be reformed

wunc How the HELL is this constitutional?

wunc What? What?

wunc So, it's not in Mexico. Wow. Who could tell...

wunc

wunc They are humans to and if they can do it legally they certainly will. So who is the thief now.

wunc It's how the police here make most of their money. Or most of the private money of three or four people, I should say.

wunc Guilty until proven innocents. Thats why there are bail and warrants.

wunc This has been reported on as far back as 10 plus years ago. Nothing has changed. This has to change. This is exactly the kind of overreaching police state that the founding fathers built this country to avoid

wunc Israeli occupation intelligence officers beat and electrocute a young boy before his arrest in Jerusalem SaveBeita 🇵🇸 SaveSilwan 🇵🇸 SaveSheikhJarah 🇵🇸 FreePalestine 🇵🇸 IsraelTerorrists

wunc Yes they do and they buy lots of equipment/vehicles you name it.

wunc BeauTFC

wunc Live in a stupid state…loose stupid prizes.

wunc I’d move back to NC if it wasn’t so politically f’ing backwards.

wunc It seems like you have to open your self up to this some how. Damn the cops, keep your mouth shut around them, your doors locked and static on when your talking or writing.

wunc “Police” have a lot coming to them. Let’s clean up their act.

wunc Anything illegal= Cops n Robbers!

wunc ‘Innocent until proven guilty’, eh In the USA 🇺🇸... 😂😂

MsWerner wunc PolicingForProfit

wunc Crooks! That’s what it’s called. Cops having doing this from the start. ( Evidence is always missing; that’s Bc. It gets sold; cops supplemental income- not reported to IRS)

wunc Welcome to the party, better late then never. Libertarian and some Libertarian leaning Republicans have been calling for the end of asset forfeiture for years.

bmaz wunc Fun fact: the police steal more property from citizens than citizens steal from citizens

wunc Police. Are. Gangs.

wunc Eh, cops are either thugs or grifters. A great many American police officers can’t be trusted.

AlexFTweets wunc It's theft. But NC. You could leave, but you won't.

wunc Well they already know they can shot you with impunity so why the f wouldn't they rob people aswell.

wunc Just another Third World country.

wunc These are the actions of an authoritarian kleptocracy.

wunc But why don't people trust the police?

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