Maine is poised to make it a lot harder for police to steal your stuff
According to the Institute for Justice, even though Maine requires police departments to maintain an inventory of the property they seize, reports need not be filed with a centralized agency or published online, making it harder for the public to hold them accountable. Looking at just Maine Drug Enforcement Agency reports alone, law enforcement in the Pine Tree State seized more than $1.5 million in cash from 2009 to 2013. Unfortunately, no value is reported for non-cash assets that were seized and then auctioned or sold.
Civil asset forfeiture is a national problem, and a big one. In 2014, for the first time in recorded history, police in the United States seized more money and property through civil asset forfeiture than all burglars and thieves combined. Making matters worse, civil asset forfeiture has been known to disproportionately impact African Americans and Latinos, creating significant barriers to opportunity in their communities. According to a study in Oklahoma, nearly two thirds of seizures come from racial minorities, representing a significant disparity.
If S.B. 888 passes the state legislature, police in Maine would no longer be able to seize property without convicting the owner of a crime, effectively ending the practice of civil asset forfeiture in favor of criminal asset forfeiture. The bill is scheduled for a hearing March 31.
According to the Institute for Justice, even though Maine requires police departments to maintain an inventory of the property they seize, reports need not be filed with a centralized agency or published online, making it harder for the public to hold them accountable. Looking at just Maine Drug Enforcement Agency reports alone, law enforcement in the Pine Tree State seized more than $1.5 million in cash from 2009 to 2013. Unfortunately, no value is reported for non-cash assets that were seized and then auctioned or sold.
Civil asset forfeiture is a national problem, and a big one. In 2014, for the first time in recorded history, police in the United States seized more money and property through civil asset forfeiture than all burglars and thieves combined. Making matters worse, civil asset forfeiture has been known to disproportionately impact African Americans and Latinos, creating significant barriers to opportunity in their communities. According to a study in Oklahoma, nearly two thirds of seizures come from racial minorities, representing a significant disparity.
If S.B. 888 passes the state legislature, police in Maine would no longer be able to seize property without convicting the owner of a crime, effectively ending the practice of civil asset forfeiture in favor of criminal asset forfeiture. The bill is scheduled for a hearing March 31.
