Pubdate: Thu, 07 Jun 2012
Source: Langley Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Langley Times
Contact:  http://www.langleytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1230
Author: Matthew Claxton
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)

COPS TARGET THE BLING OF CRIME

The Langley RCMP are working to seize the cars, trucks, cash, and 
land of criminals

To do any job properly, you need the right tools. Even if that job is crime.

The Langley RCMP now has an officer dedicated to taking away the 
tools of criminals, hobbling their ability to continue operating.

Const. Mike Schnerch is a 12-year veteran of the RCMP who has spent 
his entire career at the Langley detachment.

After nine years with the Drug Section, he's now been appointed the 
Offence Related Property Coordinator.

That means his job is to handle seizing goods used in, or paid for 
by, crime of all kinds.

"Anything that's been used in the commission of an offense," he said.

That can mean cash collected by drug dealers, cars and trucks used by 
break and enter artists and wire thieves, and houses and land used to 
grow marijuana.

Since he took up the job in January, the Langley RCMP has restrained 
more than $3 million worth of property, in 25 separate 
investigations, and is pursuing full forfeiture through the courts. 
Of that, about $2.9 million is land. A total of $176,000 worth of 
goods has been fully forfeited and is now the property of the 
government of B.C.

The first step in seizing property used by criminals is to get a 
restraint order.

In a process similar to getting a warrant, police have to convince a 
judge that they have sufficient evidence to seize property they 
believe was used in a crime.

The property will be held until criminal charges are dealt with by 
the courts, a process that can take months or years.

However, if the charges are not proved or are dropped, the government 
can also to try and seize property through civil forfeiture 
legislation. The burden of proof is lower in civil court, Schnerch explains.

The bulk of Schnerch's work - about 80 to 85 per cent, he estimates - 
is drug related, and he still reports to the sergeant of the Drug Section.

But he's working with officers throughout the Langley RCMP. Among his 
tasks are educating other officers about the rules for seizing 
property, and helping them work through the process.

Before Schnerch took up his new role, officers could file to seize 
property, but each had to do it alongside all the other work of an 
investigation.

"It was the individual investigator [who] would be looking at that," 
Schnerch said.

Taking away the properties used to grow pot, or the cars used to move 
drugs, is going to be a setback to full-time crooks, Schnerch said.

"I think that's the thing that's going to hurt the criminals the 
most," he said.

Schnerch can also work on more complex files, to track down and try 
to seize proceeds of crime. This requires proving that a home was 
bought with drug money, or a car was purchased with the cash a pimp 
earned from his illegal trade.

Everything successfully seized will eventually be liquidated, so the 
cars and land will show up in a future government auction.

The money doesn't flow directly back to the police, but local forces 
can apply for money for new equipment, training, or community projects.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom