Pubdate: Sun, 10 Apr 2016
Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.utsandiego.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/386
Note: Seldom prints LTEs from outside it's circulation area.
Author: Margaret Dooley-Sammuli
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n216/a06.html

ABUSE OF FORFEITURE BY POLICE MUST END

Regarding "Policing for profit is a growing problem" (April 5): 
Government agents should not be empowered to take innocent people's 
property and keep what they take.

Forfeiture is ripe for abuse and that's exactly what we've seen. 
According to a report released last week, people of color and of 
lower income have repeatedly been targeted for non-criminal asset forfeiture.

Perhaps that's because these groups are statistically less likely to 
use banks (and therefore more likely to be walking around with cash) 
and less likely to be able to fight the government to get their property back.

Fortunately, California has an opportunity to rein in forfeiture 
abuse this year - thanks to legislation introduced by Sen. Holly 
Mitchell, a Democrat from Los Angeles, and co-authored by Sen. Joel 
Anderson, a Republican from right here in San Diego. It's not too 
late to put SB 443 on the governor's desk.

Margaret Dooley-Sammuli

Mira Mesa
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom