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Police confiscate property to finance themselves
Civil seizure is a process by which the police can take money, cars and even houses they suspect to be involved in criminal activities. Unlike criminal forfeiture, the owner of such property does not need to be convicted or even charged with a crime in order to lose his property permanently. You then have to hire a lawyer and prove that your property was not really involved in criminal activity, otherwise the police can simply keep it for themselves.
Of course, you can see how this system encourages civil seizure, because everyone likes money. In such cases, it is not uncommon for prosecutors to tell you that your case is not complicated enough to justify hiring a lawyer. Know that it is, and you have to be on your guard if you don't want your property to become a share of the police budget for the next year.
Complaints against police officers can be destroyed
Unfortunately, culture among law enforcement forces tends to protect its members, even if it undermines public protection. In 2016, hackers discovered that some complaints against agents remained confidential and did not affect their careers or reputations. In some cases, complaints are simply destroyed after a certain period of time. It therefore becomes difficult for complaints to actually impact recalcitrant officers, who may sometimes remain in service for much longer than desired.
Stay calm and sit down
Neil Franklin, a former police officer with 33 years of experience, advises citizens to understand their constitutional rights and make well-considered decisions when interacting with the police. Its main advice is to remain as calm as possible. Having a negative attitude makes the situation more likely to go wrong. He also recommends never touching an agent, even in a friendly or humorous manner.
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