So I guess you don't make deposits for your employer...do they know how quickly you'd be willing to steal something that wasn't yours?

 

I'm just giving you a hard time, but I doubt you would really steal something that didn't belong to you.

 

Even though you are just giving him a hard time, the two situations aren't even a little similar.

I'm sure he won't, but what happens if he gets off on a technicality, will they have to give the money back? Could he claim there was $30 million and the police didn't report the extra $6mil?

I'm sure he won't, but what happens if he gets off on a technicality, will they have to give the money back? Could he claim there was $30 million and the police didn't report the extra $6mil?

 

They can confiscate the money without proving anything at all if they suspect it was used in drugs.

 

Police Stop You While You're Carrying A Bunch Of Cash. What Happens To Your Money?

 

In many cases, police can take your assets even if you’re innocent.

 

Police regularly seize and adopt property without any conclusive proof of a connection to criminal activity. Under civil asset forfeiture, legal action can be filed against a person’s property without ever charging the owner — much less obtaining a conviction. This has made it an easy process to abuse. Say you’re stopped with $11,500 in hard-earned cash while on a house-hunting trip. If police find that money, they can take it even though you haven’t committed a crime.

 

To get seized assets back, owners are often required to definitively prove that their property is not connected to a crime.

 

“That notion that police can suspect you of wrongdoing, take your property and then flip the burden of proof to you to prove your own innocence just turns the whole idea of innocent until proven guilty on its head,” Larry Salzman, an attorney with the Institute for Justice, told The Huffington Post.

 

With the government technically pursuing action against property, not a person, disputes over civil asset forfeiture tend to have memorable case names, like United States v. $124,700 in U.S. Currency and United States v. Approximately 64,695 Pounds of Shark Fins.

 

Cash became a particularly appetizing target for law enforcement agencies, which could put large portions of seized money directly back into their coffers. According to an extensive Washington Post report published last year, since Sept. 11, 2001, local and state police departments participating in the Equitable Sharing Program have seized $2.5 billion in cash from suspects who were never charged.

They can confiscate the money without proving anything at all if they suspect it was used in drugs.

 

Police Stop You While You're Carrying A Bunch Of Cash. What Happens To Your Money?

 

In many cases, police can take your assets even if you’re innocent.

 

Police regularly seize and adopt property without any conclusive proof of a connection to criminal activity. Under civil asset forfeiture, legal action can be filed against a person’s property without ever charging the owner — much less obtaining a conviction. This has made it an easy process to abuse. Say you’re stopped with $11,500 in hard-earned cash while on a house-hunting trip. If police find that money, they can take it even though you haven’t committed a crime.

 

To get seized assets back, owners are often required to definitively prove that their property is not connected to a crime.

 

“That notion that police can suspect you of wrongdoing, take your property and then flip the burden of proof to you to prove your own innocence just turns the whole idea of innocent until proven guilty on its head,” Larry Salzman, an attorney with the Institute for Justice, told The Huffington Post.

 

With the government technically pursuing action against property, not a person, disputes over civil asset forfeiture tend to have memorable case names, like United States v. $124,700 in U.S. Currency and United States v. Approximately 64,695 Pounds of Shark Fins.

 

Cash became a particularly appetizing target for law enforcement agencies, which could put large portions of seized money directly back into their coffers. According to an extensive Washington Post report published last year, since Sept. 11, 2001, local and state police departments participating in the Equitable Sharing Program have seized $2.5 billion in cash from suspects who were never charged.

 

In many cases the money does get returned once case is presented to a judge. In most seizure cases there was enough evidence of a crime to get a warrant before any search is conducted. The examples listed above are rare compared to the ones that come from extensive investigations.

 

In some cases defendants will voluntarily give up any claim to seized funds or property in exchange for having charges dropped. I'll guarantee dude in Miami would give up that money if charges would be dropped. But that is between defendants and prosecutors, the police are out of it at that point.

 

By law the money (at least in Kentucky) can only be used for equipment and training...it can not be used to put extra officers on the road, payroll for existing officers or pay raises.

Even though you are just giving him a hard time, the two situations aren't even a little similar.

 

Sure they are. You're at work counting a deposit and you have $25,000 more than your supposed to have. You decide that you can keep it since it's extra. In both cases you are deciding to take money that doesn't belong to you.

 

I used to verify deposits of between $100K and as high as $1,000,000 for a single days business. I caught mistakes that could have allowed me or someone else to pocket some large cash.

Expect to see this premise in an upcoming novel or movie. I think this would be a nice addition to David Baldacci's John Puller series.

Sure they are. You're at work counting a deposit and you have $25,000 more than your supposed to have. You decide that you can keep it since it's extra. In both cases you are deciding to take money that doesn't belong to you.

 

I used to verify deposits of between $100K and as high as $1,000,000 for a single days business. I caught mistakes that could have allowed me or someone else to pocket some large cash.

 

One is from a business. The other is from a person who committed multiple felonies and poised the streets with drugs. While the fundamental action is the same, that is where the similarities stop.

 

You didn't do anything to earn the extra money you counted. The detectives earned (IMO) the right to some of that drug money they got off the streets.

Well yeah, it would be hard to commission a "regular" arrest. But something like this, I absolutely think the LEO's involved should be rewarded.

 

And in turn you'd have folks saying the LEO's are overlooking other stuff because they're focusing all of their attention on the big fish or potential payouts.

Prison isn't kind to ex-cops, just sayin guys.