If you happen to travel through east Texas, avoid Tenaha, especially if you're African American. The Tenaha police may stop you and rob you, without even charging you with a crime. They even took $4,000 from a great-grandmother.

Tenaha, a town of 1,000, has used its robbery proceeds to build a new police station, and buy a second police car to extend its legal crime wave. But perhaps it's unfair to single out Tenaha. Police departments all over America are doing the same thing, committing not only robbery, but also acts of terrorism.

Apparently, no one is safe. Just ask Cheye Calvo, the Mayor of Berwyn Heights, Maryland . . .

County police mistakenly targeted the Calvo home as a marijuana drop-off point. Police invaded the home, bound the mayor's mother-in-law, and shot the family's dogs. The Calvo's were cleared of all wrongdoing, but the police won't admit it made any mistakes.

Radley Balko reports  that the use of SWAT teams and no-knock raids has soared, even when there's no evidence that a targeted home poses any threat. These aggressive raids allow police to surprise the suspect and find as much valuable property to seize as quickly as possible.

Law enforcement agencies then auction off this property and spend the money on themselves, even when the victims they robbed are never convicted of any crime. Instead, the victims must prove that they are NOT guilty of a crime.

Proving a negative is almost impossible. That's why innocence is presumed in free societies, and the state bears the burden of proving guilt. Civil asset forfeiture turn this principle on its head. It even forces victims to prove that their property was never used in a crime.

This means that most seized property is never returned, even to people who are completely innocent.

The asset forfeiture laws give police a huge incentive to steal as much as possible. They also create a conflict-of-interest. Police make more money seizing the proceeds of drug sales than by preventing drug sales. This contradicts the supposed purpose of drug prohibition.

But it gets worse . . .

The newly-enacted "stimulus" bill includes $4 billion for state and local law enforcement.  You will now be funding an expanded wave of police robbery.

and, of course, it couldn’t possibly happen here …..

The Victoria Police Criminal Proceeds Squad (CPS) seized assets suspected of being proceeds of crime during 2008 worth an estimated $56 million, Acting Premier and Attorney-General Rob Hulls announced today.

Mr Hulls said tough confiscation laws combined with dedicated work by police and the Office of Public Prosecutions had netted the haul of valuables.

“Victoria’s tough confiscation laws put the onus on offenders to prove their wealth was not obtained illegally,” Mr Hulls said.

“If they can’t prove it, they will lose it.”

And lose it they did. In 2008, the asset confiscation program yielded over $10 million revenue from the sale of forfeited property.

“This included houses, luxury cars and yachts taken as part of major operations,” Mr Hulls said.

Under proceeds of crime legislation, in 2008 Victoria Police seized:

* Real estate worth $35.7 million;

* Shares worth $15.7 million; and

* Cash, vehicles and boats worth $4.1 million.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner (Crime Department) Dannye Moloney said the Criminal Proceeds Squad has had a significant impact in the recovery of millions of dollars worth of cash and assets.

“The dedicated team of specialists enables Victoria Police to focus on larger and more complex criminal enterprises,” Mr Moloney said.

“Due to the success of the Criminal Proceeds Squad, a smaller team was permanently embedded with the Purana Taskforce and another squad has begun operating within the Drug Task Force since November 2008.

“In this short time, the squad working with the Drug Task Force has seized assets valued at more than $2 million, which is a clear indication of the significant results we can achieve.”

Police Minister Bob Cameron said the results highlighted how effective police were at dismantling crime operations and removing the incentives which lure people into a criminal lifestyle.

“The Brumby Government and Victoria Police are sending a clear message to criminals - crime doesn’t pay,” Mr Cameron said.

“Not only are criminals punished but they are stripped of their wealth accumulated from crime.

“We have provided Victoria Police with a record budget of $1.75 billion to assist them in their fight against crime.”

Victoria Police established the Criminal Proceeds Squad in 2005 after the enactment of the Major Crime Legislation (Seizure of Assets) Act 2004 gave it new powers to target high-level organised crime.

Assets are sold through public and Internet auctions, with the proceeds returned to the state and victims of crime.

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/minister-for-police-emergency-services/police-seize-$56-million-from-proceeds-of-crime.html

there you go, guilty unless you can prove yourself innocent …..

heads: they win, tails: you lose ….

converting our criminal justice system into a government organised & controlled extortion racket of epic proportions.