Justice Department Halts Program Allowing Law Enforcement to Split Proceeds of Seized Cash, Property

Law enforcement agencies protest that suspension of 'equitable sharing' by Attorney General Loretta Lynch's Justice Department will hurt their efforts to combat crime

Melissa Quinn, --December 29, 2015

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The Justice Department is halting a controversial program that allows law enforcement to keep most of the proceeds of cash and property they seize from Americans under federal law, sometimes without charging anyone with a crime.
Now the law enforcement community, which benefits from the program, is pushing back against the Justice Department, saying its decision could have negative consequences on public safety. Just days before Christmas, the Justice Department announced suspension of its “equitable sharing” program. In a letter to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, the department said it is deferring payments to the agencies because of cuts to its budget, deepened in the spending package passed by Congress earlier this month. More...

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