Texas Police/Sheriff Dept Earn $ Seizing Property $280 M from individuals neither convicted/charged

[The Straight Story]

Texas Police and Sheriff Departments Earn Money by Seizing Property

Wednesday, November 24, 2010 Through the use of civil asset forfeiture, law enforcement agencies in Texas last decade collected property and cash valued at $280 million from individuals neither convicted nor even charged with a crime. Civil asset forfeiture allows police and sheriffs to confiscate property if they suspect it aided in the commission of a crime, and Texas law permits law enforcement to keep 90% of what it seizes.

A report from the Institute of Justice stated: “Because Texas’ statutes let law enforcement agencies benefit directly from the proceeds of forfeiture, it creates incentives for them to pursue actions that will result in the greatest revenue, often at the expense of innocent owners.”

For instance, in October 2007, Roderick Daniels of Tennessee was pulled over in Tenaha, Texas, for allegedly traveling 37 mph in a 35-mph zone. The officer on the scene discovered $8,500 in cash that Daniels planned to use to buy a new car. Daniels was threatened with charges of money-laundering unless he turned over the cash, which he did, even though he had committed no crime.

The average Texas law enforcement agency gained 14% of its revenue from forfeitures. About 74% of the proceeds were used to purchase equipment and 23.6% was spent on salaries and overtime pay.

http://www.allgov.com/Controversies/ViewNews/Texas_Police_and_Sheriff_Departments_Earn_Money_by_Seizing_Property_101124

[somone]

1. Rick Perry's small-government paradise

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Highway robbery, legalized.

Once again, knowing your rights and how to "not consent to a search" is pretty important.

Altho I expect the search consent requirement will be "outlawed" soon for police, just as it now is for TSA.

[toddwv]

3. Freedom is never free.

Somebody has to pay. Anyone want to bet this little "backdoor tax" hits the poor and lower middle class the hardest?

[ck4829]

5. Not just poor, but also minorities

This article on the same subject states that the lion's share of the people who were threatened to sign off property or else were black or Latino.

http://articles.cnn.com/2009-05-05/justice/texas.police.seizures_1_police-officer-highway-robbery-personal-property/2?_s=PM:CRIME

[Bandit]

8. What do the poor have that the police would want?

This is mostly about large sums of cash or expensive cars and homes...This should be unconstitutional. It would be one thing if a Person was guilty of a crime but when they are never even charged and yet are penalized without trial or judgement from a judge or jury, then it goes against the Constitution.

[w8liftinglady]

10. in Texas,the police have been lowered to ticketing for financing the local govs

There is a huge number of folks sitting in jail because they couldn't afford insurance,couldn't afford their tickets,and knew they'd go to jail,so avoided their court hearing...huge.
and if you look at who's there...80% african-American and hispanic.

http://www.elliscountypress.com/police/index.1.html


for examples...our jail population

-ran stop sign- warrant arrest, display expired registration-warrant arrest

-no motor vehicle liability insurance-warrant arrest, display expired registration-warrant arrest, driving while license invalid-warrant arrest, failure to appear-warrant arrest

-speeding -warrant arrest, motor vehicle inspection violation-warrant arrest, no motor vehicle liability insurance-warrant arrest

- driving while license invalid-warrant arrest x4, speeding -warrant arrest, failure to appear-warrant arrest, no motor vehicle liability insurance-warrant arrest

-expired operators license- warrant arrest, driving while license invalid-warrant arrest

[ck4829]

4. Perry's always complaining about the big bad government, yet his police extorts innocent people

K&R.

[Nye Bevan]

6. Civil asset forfeiture is obscene and should be abolished.

It's a violation of due process and gives twisted incentives for police departments everywhere to line their own pockets at the expense of people who may not be guilty of any crime.

[Odin2005]

7. More proof that we have become a 3rd World country, complete with corruption.

[w8liftinglady]

9. my partner's town has been through three chiefs of police due to this kind of thing

This is what happens when you privatize.

Unfortunately,the police forces that are unionized in Texas are being crushed by "locals".
This is the result.