Policing for Profit, 2nd Edition
Published in 2015, this is an older edition of IJ’s landmark Policing for Profit report. You can download the report here, but please see the fourth and current edition for the most up-to-date information.
Additional Resources
Policing for Profit
Civil forfeiture threatens the constitutional rights of all Americans. Using civil forfeiture, the government can take your home, business, cash, car or other property on the mere suspicion that it is somehow connected to criminal activity—and without ever convicting or even charging you with a crime.
Related Cases
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Family Jewelry Business Fights Back to End Predatory Civil Forfeitures at Indianapolis FedEx Hub
Henry and Minh Cheng, who run a wholesale jewelry business, are fighting Indiana to keep money a customer sent them through FedEx. Indiana police seized the money and prosecutors are trying to take it through civil forfeiture without saying what the couple did wrong.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
When the government seizes property from people without justification, and they have to spend money to get their property back, they deserve to be made whole.
Brian Moore fought to get his property back from the federal government and he won. In 2021, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents seized $8,500 in cash from him at Atlanta’s airport…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
The FBI Hasn’t Said What This Couple Did Wrong, But Is Taking Their Savings Anyway
Linda Martin's home savings were seized by the FBI. She received a confusing forfeiture notice that didn't clearly say what she did wrong for the government to want to take her money.
In The News
Liberty & Law Article
Detroit Deploys Dirty Tricks to Keep Seized Property
Liberty & Law Article
A Promising Day for Tyson Timbs—and the Eighth Amendment
Liberty & Law Article
IJ Supreme Court Case Brings Together Diverse Advocates for Property Owners
Liberty & Law Article
Suing to Make a Georgia City Serve and Protect, Not Ticket and Collect
Liberty & Law Article
IJ Fights to End For-Profit Prosecution in California
Liberty & Law Article
VICTORY: IJ Helps Musician Stop a Highway Robbery
Liberty & Law Article
IJ Lands a Forfeiture Victory
Liberty & Law Article
IJ’s Legislative Team Fights Civil Forfeiture Across the Country
Liberty & Law Article
Taking on the Federal Forfeiture Racket
Liberty & Law Article
VICTORY For the Slatic Family In California
Liberty & Law Article
IJ Turning the Tide on the Outrage That is Civil Forfeiture
Liberty & Law Article
Smooth Landing for Airport Forfeiture Victim
Liberty & Law Article
Transparently Bad
Liberty & Law Article
IJ Sues Feds for Forfeiture Records
Liberty & Law Article
Our Client Got Her Car Back, But Her Lawsuit Keeps Running
Liberty & Law Article
IJ Fights for a Family Of Innocent Owners In California
Liberty & Law Article
Ending Forfeiture In Arizona
Liberty & Law Article
A Monumental Step Forward In Civil Forfeiture Research
Related Reports
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Policing for Profit 3
Nationwide, civil forfeiture is a massive threat to property and due process rights. So finds the third edition of Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture. The report presents the largest ever collection…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Seize First, Question Later
Thanks to federal civil forfeiture laws, the Internal Revenue Service has seized millions of dollars from thousands of Americans’ bank accounts without proof of criminal wrongdoing.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Bad Apples or Bad Laws?
An original experiment finds that civil forfeiture laws create a strong temptation for law enforcement to seize property to pad their own budgets.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Policing and Prosecuting for Profit
In 2002, New Jersey’s Carol Thomas made headlines after her teenage son used her 1990 Ford Thunderbird to sell marijuana to an undercover police officer. He was arrested, pled guilty and faced his punishment. However,…