This is part two of Operation Shakedown, a series about heavy-handed traffic enforcement tactics and property seizures in Spartanburg County, South
  • Drusas@kbin.run
    16·
    3 months ago

    The vehicle was not speeding or driving recklessly. It had no broken lights or expired tags, nor had the car been reported stolen. What it did have was out-of-state plates on a rental car.

    This is enough to trigger a traffic stop during Operation Rolling Thunder, the annual five-day law enforcement blitz that turns a 20-mile stretch of freeway between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia, into a gauntlet for travelers.

    This in itself is illegal.

  • HelixDab2@lemm.eeEnglish
    11·
    3 months ago

    This seems ripe for federal legislation to ban any civil asset forfeiture in the absence of a criminal conviction. It would be an easy political win for any person or party that managed to get it through.

    • octopus_ink@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
      8·
      3 months ago

      All true, but once again we find that police will abuse their power to the maximum extent, then wonder why everyone hates them. All those “good apples” should be vigorously opposing policies and practices such as these.

      An article like this about behaviors like this could never be written about an organization that was actually there to protect the public.

      • HelixDab2@lemm.eeEnglish
        3·
        3 months ago

        Oh, sure, definitely. I’m just shocked that something that is so widely abused, and has very little apparent legitimate purpose, hasn’t been targeted for legislation.

        • octopus_ink@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
          2·
          3 months ago

          Fair, I agree also. I just wasn’t done venting my outrage yet. 😁

          Not that I hadn’t heard about civil asset forfeiture before, I also didn’t recognize that it was so blatantly, openly abused.

          • HelixDab2@lemm.eeEnglish
            2·
            3 months ago

            Oh my god, yes. It’s fucking awful. Even worse, it tends to target non-white people, because they’re less likely to have traditional bank accounts and be able to move money electronically. It’s literally life savings for some of the people getting hit, and they’re getting pulled over on absolute nonsense bullshit.

  • Dasus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    3 months ago

    Any large amounts of cash in the vehicle?

    Last Week Tonight’s piece on civil forfeiture. Cops just take your shit and you can’t even challenge it.

    For instance traveling to buy a car with cash, have cash with you as you’re moving to a new job in a new city? Cops stop you, take your money and you can’t challenge it in any way, even when you’ve genuine proof that you’re going to buy a car with that money and the deals already made and verified and whatnot.

    It’s insane