In New Mexico, cops are being taught to view citizen property as “little goodies” they can seize for their department.
According to civil asset forfeiture law, police may seize and keep property that they suspect of being connected to a crime, without so much as accusing its owners of wrongdoing. Property owners are then forced to prove that their property should be returned to them.
The practice has come under increasing scrutiny lately, with reports detailing how police departments use money they seize to pad their budgets and fund everything from fancy coffee makers to banquets.
And some law enforcement agencies are now training their staff to treat forfeiture like a police department shopping expedition.
In videos of several law enforcement seminars obtained by the New York Times, forfeiture experts describe how to make the most lucrative property seizures by being on the lookout for things they need.
Computers, for example, aren’t worth the time: “everybody’s got one already.” Instead police are encouraged to target people with fancy cars and money.
“A guy drives up in a 2008 Mercedes, brand new,” New Mexico city attorney Harry S. Connelly Jr. begins as an example. “Just so beautiful, I mean, the cops were undercover and they were just like ‘Ahhhh.’ And he gets out and he’s just reeking of alcohol. And it’s like, ‘Oh, my goodness, we can hardly wait.’ ”
The Times watched recent civil asset forefeiture training sessions in Santa Fe, New Jersey, and Georgia. Some law enforcement participants “mocked Hispanics whose cars were seized.” The chief of the forfeiture unit in Mercer County, N.J., Sean D. McMurtry, noted in his speech that flat screen TVs “are very popular with the police departments,” while jewelry and cell phones aren’t worth the effort.
McMurtry also offered to help the police keep the items they especially coveted:
Some conservative lawmakers, like Rand Paul, have proposed requiring the government to prove their case before taking property.
Read the full story and watch the clips here.
