CASH BEING CONFISCATED IN AMERICA

[Copper Catcher]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6b-_VHfYEI&feature=plcp

[slickeast]

That is crazy. You have to prove that you are not buying drugs. The cop even states that $1000 could be drug money. I guess if you only have one dollar bill on you, your intent is to snort coke with it.

[Country]

Very sad, but I can't say that I am surprised either. This is more evidence that the America that our fathers and sons shed their blood is coming to an abrupt end. The problem is that governments throughout our world have realized how easy it is to slowly become totalitarian in form, while mascarading with the outward shell of democracy and freedom. I believe it only gets worse from here; however, populations rarely remove corrupt governments until the population has been so overwhelmed that they have nothing left to lose.

[Bluegill]

This policy has been around since at least the 1990's. This is nothing new. In fact the "Asset Forfeiture" laws are just an extension of this non sense. Now that every municipality in this country is in, or on the verge of bankruptcy due to those obscene government employee pensions plans and other legacy costs, they are now getting more aggressive in it's enforcement for the much needed revenue.

[emptypockets]

wow yet another reason i trust law enforcement less now then ever...they imo have entirely way to much power and the majority (again imo) of them flex it every chance they get......what a bunch of crooks

[fb101]

No comment.
Never know who might be watching.

[CtrlAltBernanke]

No comment.
Never know who might be watching.

+1

[Engineer]

The big drug dealers already know not to take that route, so a big portion of the cash they'll confiscate will be from legal activities. There will also be a cost to the state in lost business when people like myself plan their trips around the state rather than through it.

After witnessing a large scale vehicle search (in the name of a safety inspection) along I-35 in Iowa last year, I no longer take that route when I go to visit family. In an average year, Iowa will lose about $1000 in gas and food sales to me ($75 in tax revenue?) for overstepping the bounds of what I consider to be reasonable police behavior. I'm happy to reward their neighboring states with my business.

[Treetop]

When I was moving to the southwest, i had everything I owned in the bed of a pickup truck, and a few thousand on me. I was speeding a bit and got pulled over. They had a drug dog circle the vehicle and the dog jumped at the bed of my truck. Happened to be right where there was a cooler filled with lunchmeat and other things. No matter it apparently gave the officer the right to search my truck. He found my money and decided it was much to much for me to have in cash. He said he was going to take it and started walking away. I jumped in front of him as he grabbed his gun. (yes Im serious) and I grabbed my cash right out of his hand and asked him what he expected me to do without it? become homeless? sell my truck and live under a bridge? I asked him if he could live with robbing me on his conscious and there must be better ways to fund his department. Even asked him what his wife or mother would think. Lots of other words exchanged as well. In the end i left with my cash and no tickets, and knowledge i will never forget.

Have to agree with engineer as well, any drug smuggler who is worth catching thought of this long before the police did. Id bet 95plus percent of confiscated cash (ignoring obvious drug busts of course) was legal.

[Hawkeye]

That's insane. I can't believe Tennessee hasn't had their pants sued off over that yet. I couldn't believe the arrogance of the cop they were interviewing. "I can't prove he was using it for drugs, and he can't prove he wasn't." Wow. Just - wow. So apparently now I have to prove that I'm not thinking about buying drugs with my cash. As long as there is no actual evidence of anything, these are confiscations based on potential intent. And that, my friend, is a VERY slippery slope.

[68Camaro]

This whole thread has me freaked out more than even the imminent collapse of the dollar and or hyperinflation!

Is there any state that remains safe from this? My daughter is driving from Florida to Washington state starting this coming Friday and I gave her a heads up on the issue. It's definitely affected how much cash she will be carrying. She will carry no more than a couple hundred and charge everything else possible.

[Copper Catcher]

If police searched everyone in the line boarding an airplane for Las Vegas they would find lots of people carrying more than a few hundred dollars in cash. Now, if they wanted to search folks leaving, that would be a different story.

[Kurr]

In the United States, only Louisiana is officially under Napoleonic code based laws. It unofficially is spreading though.

From wikipedia under Napoleonic law under code of criminal laws:
the possibility for justice to endorse lengthy remand periods was one reason why the Napoleonic Code was criticized for de facto presumption of guilt, particularly in common law countries.

One of the factors for the heavy handedness and openness of what they are doing is a bit related in my humble opinion to psychological operations against the citizenry.

If you are scared to carry cash, what are you're alternatives? Give your money to a bank to hold and invest for themselves, use a debit card to have all purchases and you're whereabouts tracked with every transaction, ease of asset forfeiture through by "freezing" your account, and increasing banking revenues through debit fees, transaction fees, service fees, maintenance fees and the like. Or "charge" it and accrue those fees and interest payments, adjustable percentage rates (don't pay it off that month and go to 20%-60% interest payments) and all the little add ons the credit companies give you.

No, wait.... it's all for "public safety" and think of "The Children" they are saving from the drug dealers. It's all for the best...... our own good..... really!

[rickygee]

Read more about it in this Realcent thread:

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=9521

[EddieMerchant]

I've heard of this sort of thing, but have yet to experience it myself. Exactly what is the thresh hold for cash being "too much" cash?
We all know about the 10K rule with banking transactions, but what's the number with WAM?

[Engineer]

I've heard of this sort of thing, but have yet to experience it myself. Exactly what is the thresh hold for cash being "too much" cash?
We all know about the 10K rule with banking transactions, but what's the number with WAM?

I'm pretty sure the feds consider it to be 10K, but state and local governments can make their own rules.

[Mossy]

I've heard of this sort of thing, but have yet to experience it myself. Exactly what is the thresh hold for cash being "too much" cash?

Depends on the area. I've heard of people in the housing developments being shaken down for pocket change.

[slickeast]

Just google police seize cash and you will find numerous accounts of people having their property seized by the police for any lame excuse they want to use.

[Numis Pam]

Goodness! Another older thread I missed that raised a big question for me......

Would coins be subject to this kind of confiscation?
Some of you guys pick up and/or dump very large amounts of coin cash. I might have as much as $1,500. in my vehicle at times and I know many of you have way more than that!! This is pretty disturbing to have to start thinking about.....

[Engineer]

Goodness! Another older thread I missed that raised a big question for me......

Would coins be subject to this kind of confiscation?
Some of you guys pick up and/or dump very large amounts of coin cash. I might have as much as $1,500. in my vehicle at times and I know many of you have way more than that!! This is pretty disturbing to have to start thinking about.....

In many ways, we as a group are more protected than the average person. If cops steal our coin money, we can call dozens of bank tellers to testify that carrying large amounts of cash is normal behavior for us.

[Mossy]

Goodness! Another older thread I missed that raised a big question for me......

Would coins be subject to this kind of confiscation?
Some of you guys pick up and/or dump very large amounts of coin cash. I might have as much as $1,500. in my vehicle at times and I know many of you have way more than that!! This is pretty disturbing to have to start thinking about.....

People who pass bad checks or use stolen credit cards are supposed to end up with more change on them than the usual citizen; it's supposed to be one of the things for police to watch for when investigating someone who seems a bit... off.

That said, their change is likely to be random coins, not all quarters or whatever.

So, don't be surprised if an officer looks twice at what coins you have, but it should be easy to get straightened out.

[IdahoCopper]

Police seizing cash is a perfect example of a positive feedback loop. The outcome of the seized cash should have never been given to law enforcement. Its like the fines judges give out. That cash should never be put into the judicial system.

All seized cash and money from fines should be converted into $10 bills, put in a helicopter, and flown over a city where the cash is dumped out. That is how you prevent the Police State positive feedback loop.