Forfeiture reform: stopping police seizures.

• Author: Hannaford, Patrick
• Position: Citings - District of Columbia - Brief article

THE COUNCIL of the District of Columbia has voted unanimously to overhaul laws governing the police department's ability to confiscate property suspected of being involved or connected with a crime. The Civil Asset Forfeiture Amendment Act of 2014 removes the perverse incentive of allowing police and prosecutors to keep what they seize. Instead, revenue generated from forfeitures will go into the city's general fund.

The bill also closes a loop-hole that has undermined other states' attempts at reform. Under a federal program known as Equitable Sharing, state and local law enforcement agencies are allowed to keep up to 80 percent of revenue generated when they refer a forfeiture case to a federal agency. The D.C. reform changes that practice, but not until 2019, due to existing budget plans that depend on revenue from the program.

Finally, the bill strengthens protections for property...