The Importance Of Civil Asset Forfeiture

Many people see civil asset forfeiture as a defective tactic used by the government. Civil asset forfeiture refers to a legal procedure by which the government is able to seize and ultimately forfeit the property of people suspected of wrong doing. The reason why people see this tactic as execrable is the fact that the government can seize property from people who were never convicted of or charged with a crime. Civil asset forfeiture is constantly seen as a way the government can victimize innocent people to make a profit on seized properties. Although this is a rather harsh tactic it is an absolutely credible tool used by the government and law enforcement agencies. This tactic or tool has been used to employ against all manner of criminal, …show more content…
Civil asset forfeiture is used to take out the “instrumentalities” (Stefan D. Casella), of crime. For example, if there is a dealer using a house to sell drugs to kids as they pass by on their way to a friend’s house, the building is a threat to the safety and health of that community. Civil asset forfeiture allows law enforcement to seize that house to ensure the safety of the kids and the surrounding community. This tactic also allows the government and law enforcement to keep criminals at bay by taking away their sources of trade. By taking away certain sources of trade whether it is illegal weapons, drugs, etc.…, there would be a decrease in the possibility of those illicit materials ending up in the communities. Civil asset forfeiture also plays a huge role in stopping the drug problem in United States, by giving law enforcement agencies an efficient way of seizing illegal drugs, before it ends up in the streets of innocent communities. Civil asset forfeiture keeps drugs and crime at a halt or a standstill; in turn the amount of criminal activity will be able to decrease. Even after all the good things civil asset forfeiture does for our country people still would like to see a reform in the