Thieving Michigan poLICE kept $15 million taken mostly from small seizures in 2018

Michigan police used civil asset forfeiture to seize $15 million worth of property and cash from more than 6,000 people in 2018, according to a report from Michigan State Police.

Thieving Michigan poLICE kept $15 million taken mostly from small seizures in 2018 5d31d78664115.image

Thieving Michigan poLICE kept $15 million taken mostly from small seizures in 2018 5d31d78664115.image

State Police detailed $13.4 million in cash seized and spent supplementing their budgets, according to the report.

Michigan adopted a civil asset forfeiture law in 1978 that allowed law enforcement to deprive criminals of profits gained through illegal activity. Critics say the practice often tramples on the property rights of low-level drug users who have little income.

According to the State Police report, property was seized from more than 6,000 persons in Michigan in 2018. Of these 6,000 individuals, only 2,810 were convicted of the crime for which the property was seized.

The agency retained $7.6 million worth of items, sold $3 million worth, and $256,000 was “not answered.” Police seized property from 25 people without explaining the reason for the seizure.

Jarrett Skorup, director of marketing and communications for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, said the main concern with asset forfeiture is the more than 500 people who had "assets taken, seized, and not even charged with any criminal activity.”

Of the 6,000, 514 never faced criminal charges.

Skorup said research by The Institute for Justice, a libertarian-leaning public interest law firm, found many instances in which forfeiture targeted small-time drug users instead of drug traffickers.

“These are largely assets taken from people who are low-income,” Skorup told The Center Square.

Skorup said forfeiture laws are aimed at drug kingpins but hit low-level offenders without money to pay for an attorney.

“Most cases are cash and cars of small amounts – less than $400 and vehicles worth $2,000-3,000,” Skorup said.

These seizures aren’t just cash, drugs, and guns. Police seized 13 houses, 3,545 vehicles, and 39,402 other valuable items.

Skorup said the houses seized typically belonged to more severe criminals who were convicted, like large-scale drug dealers.

Sheriff Blaine Koops, CEO of Michigan Sheriff’s Association, agreed, saying that seized houses or barns are more than likely drug-related.

http://www.iosconews.com/news/state/article_cde8a174-d644-5aac-8c9b-68f28acdd7c2.html

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Thieving Michigan poLICE kept $15 million taken mostly from small seizures in 2018

Thieving Michigan poLICE kept $15 million taken mostly from small seizures in 2018

Anarcho-Capitalist Categorical Imperatives

Via AnCaps: Law & Enforced Unnatural Order