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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsLaw enforcement took more stuff from people than burglars did last year
By Christopher Ingraham
https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=
Here's an interesting factoid about contemporary policing: In 2014, for the first time ever, law enforcement officers took more property from American citizens than burglars did. Martin Armstrong pointed this out at his blog, Armstrong Economics, last week.
Officers can take cash and property from people without convicting or even charging them with a crime yes, really! through the highly controversial practice known as civil asset forfeiture. Last year, according to the Institute for Justice, the Treasury and Justice departments deposited more than $5 billion into their respective asset forfeiture funds. That same year, the FBI reports that burglary losses topped out at $3.5 billion.
Armstrong claims that "the police are now taking more assets than the criminals," but this isn't exactly right: The FBI also tracks property losses from larceny and theft, in addition to plain ol' burglary. If you add up all the property stolen in 2014, from burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and other means, you arrive at roughly $12.3 billion, according to the FBI. That's more than double the federal asset forfeiture haul.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/11/23/cops-took-more-stuff-from-people-than-burglars-did-last-year/
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)We've got the guns and badges, so put that i-phone away, STFU & don't even think about recording our criminal behavior, play along w/us, don't "make us" come fuck you up for no reason.
If you speak out against our murderous racist behavior, you will be demonized and just might be targeted yourself...
so "play it safe" with us, it's all good. (wink-nudge)
niyad
(113,344 posts)dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)daredtowork
(3,732 posts)The property of homeless people is often treated as abandoned trash when they go to medical, social services, and community agency appointments.
These confiscations should be treated as theft of the State.