The Amount of Police Civil Forfeiture is Now More than All Civilian Theft and Burglary Combined
Civil asset forfeiture has become a controversial practice in the United States, with law enforcement agencies now seizing more property from citizens than burglars steal annually. This startling trend has raised serious concerns about due process and property rights.
The Scale of Civil Asset Forfeiture
In 2014, for the first time ever, law enforcement officers took more property from American citizens than burglars did. That year, the Treasury and Justice departments deposited over $5 billion into their respective asset forfeiture funds, while FBI reports showed burglary losses topped out at $3.5 billion
This pattern has continued in recent years. Between 2000 and 2019, authorities seized approximately $69 billion from people, most of whom were not even charged with a crime.
Seizure Amounts: In 2014, federal asset forfeiture accounted for over $5 billion going into Justice and Treasury Department coffers. In fiscal year…
