Kansas Seized $21 Million From People Over the Past Two Years. Most Were Never Convicted of a Crime
An Americans for Prosperity Foundation report found that less than a quarter of people who had property seized through asset forfeiture by Kansas police were ever convicted of a crime.
Law enforcement in Kansas raked in $21 million through civil asset forfeiture over the past two years, according to a report released this week by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFPF).
The report, drawing on a new state database, found that Kansas police seized $21.3 million from people in the state between July 2019 and the end of 2021. Of those cases, less than one-quarter of the owners have been convicted of a crime.
Under civil asset forfeiture laws, police can seize property suspected of being connected to criminal activity without charging the owner with a crime. Law enforcement groups say it’s a vital tool to disrupt drug trafficking and criminal networks by targeting their illicit revenues. However, civil liberties groups, news outlets, and a broad spectrum of advocacy groups have published numerous reports over the years arguing that asset forfeiture lacks due process protections and often targets everyday people, rather than cartel lords.- READ MORE
Responses