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Police Seize Property to Fund Themselves
Civil forfeiture is a process by which the police can take money, cars, and even homes that they suspect are involved in criminal activity. Unlike criminal forfeiture, the owner of these assets does not need to be convicted or even charged with a crime to permanently lose their property. You must then hire a lawyer and prove that your assets were not actually involved in criminal activity, or the police can simply keep them for themselves.
Of course, you can see how this system encourages civil forfeiture, because everyone loves money. In these cases, it’s not uncommon for prosecutors to tell you that your case isn’t complicated enough to warrant hiring a lawyer. Know that it is, and you need to be on your guard if you don’t want your assets to become part of the police budget for next year.
Complaints Against Officers Can Be Destroyed
Unfortunately, the culture within law enforcement tends to protect its members, even if it is detrimental to protecting the public. In 2016, hackers discovered that some complaints against officers were kept confidential and did not affect their careers or reputations. In some cases, complaints are simply destroyed after a certain amount of time. This makes it difficult for complaints to have any real impact on recalcitrant officers, who can sometimes stay on the job much longer than desired.
Stay Calm and Composed
Neil Franklin, a former police officer with 33 years of experience, advises citizens to understand their constitutional rights and make informed decisions when interacting with the police. His main advice is to stay as calm as possible. Having a negative attitude makes the situation more likely to turn ugly. He also recommends never touching an officer, even in a friendly or humorous manner.
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