A constitutional proposal won final approval Thursday in the Oregon Senate in which voters will decide to loosen restrictions on whether police agencies should have more power to seize and sell property tied to illegal activity.
The previous 2000 initiative measure required police get a conviction before they can pursue a forfeiture. The measure also said that proceeds from the sale of seized property could not be used to pay for police operations.
The measure adopted Thursday would allow police to keep some of the money they generate.
" If adopted by voters, the measure would allow police to take property that is not related to a specific conviction if the person is found guilty of a similar crime.
Moreover, a person who is not convicted could lose property if he or she KNEW a crime was being committed and failed to stop or report it. "
Senator Ginny Burdick, who supported the measure, called it a compromise approach that was drawn up between law enforcement groups and the American Civil Liberties Union which sponsored the 2000 initiative.
" "This retains protections against unreasonable forfeitures, but it would still allow law enforcement agencies to use this valuable tool against drug traffickers," the Portland Democrat said. "
let me get this straight... if you even KNEW of a crime you could lose YOUR property?
Does anybody else see how this could go so terribly wrong?
1 comment:
What's even more worrying is that the bill is described as a compromise between the ACLU and Law enforcement groups.
Shouldn't senators be building the bill based on their constituents and convictions rather than deals that lobbyists make with each other?
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