State
and local police in the United States will no longer be able to use
federal laws to justify seizing property without evidence of a crime,
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Friday. The practice of local
police taking property, including cash and cars, from people that they
stop, and of…
Reuters
U.S. attorney general bans asset seizure by local police
January 16, 2015 2:55 PM
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U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder leaves after making a statement about the grand jury decision not to …
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - State and local police
in the United States will no longer be able to use federal laws to
justify seizing property without evidence of a crime, U.S. Attorney
General Eric Holder said on Friday.
The practice of
local police taking property, including cash and cars, from people that
they stop, and of handing it over to federal authorities, became common
during the country's war on drugs in the 1980s.
Holder cited "safeguarding civil liberties" as a reason for the change in policy.
The order directs federal agencies who have collected
property during such seizures to withdraw their participation, except if
the items collected could endanger the public, as in the case of
firearms.
Holder said the ban was the first step in a comprehensive review the
Justice Department has launched of the program.
(Reporting by Julia Edwards; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
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