I very much doubt include ethics; if they did, he could've should've done this* years ago.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Friday barred local and state
police from using federal law to seize cash, cars and other property
without evidence that a crime occurred.
Holder’s action
represents the most sweeping check on police power to confiscate
personal property since the seizures began three decades ago as part of
the war on drugs.
So why now? Probably one of or both of these:
1: he's leaving office, and figures his rep could use some(well, a LOT of) polishing, and
2: The policy will touch policing and local budgets in every state.
Since 2001, about 7,600 of the nation’s 18,000 police departments and
task forces have participated in Equitable Sharing. For hundreds of
police departments and sheriff’s offices, the seizure proceeds accounted
for 20 percent or more of their annual budgets in recent years.
The
action comes at a time when police are already angry about remarks that
Holder and President Obama made after the controversial police killings
of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Mo., and New York City. Some have
accused them of being “anti-cop.”
Nice twofer, isn't it? He can paint himself as 'protecting civil rights and overreach by LE' and at the same time whack at the budget of agencies.
Mind you, if the bastards hadn't been abusing this in the first place, actually planning parts of their budgets based on it, they wouldn't have to worry about this.
Yes, I still feel like crap; thanks for asking.
*This, and Fast & Furious, and the IRS, and the list goes on
4 comments:
Firehand - hope you feel better. :) the link you have goes to another story. I saw this one earlier. http://news.yahoo.com/u-attorney-general-bans-asset-seizure-local-police-195542428.html
I was wondering what was going on myself, until I saw this:
"The order directs federal agencies who have collected property during such seizures to withdraw their participation, except if the items collected could endanger the public, as in the case of firearms."
My guess is he didn't suddenly see the light of the 4th & 5th amendment (whilst the 2nd still seemed dim), rather he was getting back at cops who didn't support his demonizing them, while at the same time slapping us gun owners in the face once more. A possible boost in his rep was a tertiary concern if at all.
You could well be right, it fits his 'crap on as many people as possible' self.
All this order does is end fed participation in local thefts by badge monkeys. Now when the local thugs steal your cash or property instead of giving said booty to the feds then getting part of it back they keep ALL of it. This is just cutting out the "middleman". It won't do a damn thing to end this theft under color of authority.
Dan, many states have passed laws to curb such theft under color of the law by tightening the standards for forfeiture and directing that any proceeds go somewhere other than police forces. But the state and local cops have evaded those state laws by forming joint task forces with federal cops, and stealing under federal law. _IF_ Holder's order curbs this, it will make a significant difference.
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