Technically, there is no low limit on how much you can confiscate. That being said, when you seize cash or assets, you have to pay the court costs associated with formally approprating the seizure. In our jurisdiction, court costs were just under $400. So, you were costing the city money if you grabbed the local dealer's wad that was under $400.kalm wrote:How much cash can you have on your person, in your car, in your house and not have it seized under suspicion?
Does it make a difference if you're driving a pos, have worn out clothing on, are a minority?
I used to go out on patrol from time to time with a relative who was a cop. I'd shoot the radar gun at cars and watch late model car after late model car go buy at 11 over the speed limit and we wouldn't move. Then some poor schmuck in a beat up late 70's chrysler would go by at 3 over the speed limit with a license plate light out and it was time to ROLL!
That's where the drugs were.
So message to some of you drug smugglers - dress like a sunday school teacher and get some decent wheels. I know it's simple but you'd be amazed how many don't get it.
I think profiling equals good police work, but this case does raise some constituional issues.
Generally speaking, the people who were having their cars and cash seized fell into all kind of demographic groups, because once you get up to the guys who were handling large sum of money, you weren't just talking about the black kid down on the corner with the gold grill. Those guys are just foot soldiers. The biggest seizure I was ever involved with was about 150 pounds of marijuana, about 75 grams of powder cocaine and about 10 cookies of crack. Along with pot brick presses, we seized about 375,000 bucks cash. All of this came as a result of a search warrant obtained after we stopped a guy and he turned out to have a pistol under his seat as well as about 50 grams of pot in his car. The big haul came on the warrant for his apartment. If I recall correctly, the stop was just a routine stop for a guy running a red light, and the rookie officer did some pretty good police work noticing the rear end of the pistol under the guy's seat.
So, there's another tip for the drug dealers: don't run red lights. Basically, make sure you look like you are squeaky clean and behave likewise. It is amazing how many guys just advertise what their primary source of income is.
At least make them spend the money on lawyers.
