Pubdate: Sun, 19 Jul 2015 Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Copyright: 2015 The Dallas Morning News, Inc. Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/send-a-letter/ Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117 Author: Howard J Wooldridge Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n396/a03.html LEGAL THEFT BY THE POLICE Re: "Assets being taken unjustly - Forfeiture laws give states free hand to seize property of individuals simply on suspicion, say Laura and John Arnold," Tuesday Viewpoints. As a retired Michigan police detective, I am keenly aware of my profession's desire to "police for profit." As a property room officer, I handled the cash coming in and the sale of mostly $2,000 cars my colleagues seized. Our local prosecutor received 10 percent of all money seized in the county, ensuring political support. How does this work? Every six months I would take almost a thousand dollars in cash to buy hay for our horses. Had I been stopped, the officer could seize the money and the truck, claiming I was en route to buy drugs. A year later I could go to the court to show ownership of four horses and the need to buy hay every six months. Maybe, I would get the money back - maybe not. How could I prove I was not buying drugs? This legal theft by my profession is disgusting. Howard J Wooldridge, Dallas co-founder, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom