In this Wednesday, April 5, 2017 photo, Kara Bland stands in front of her car in Chicago. Blandâs 2010 Chevy Malibu still had temporary plates when police seized it for a crime she did not commit. She loaned it to the father of her daughter, who was arrested after picking up someone who had marijuana on him. For six weeks, Bland took her daughter to school on a Chicago city bus and relatives helped her run errands before a judge released the car on bond. It took a total of nine months to officially regain ownership and cost her $1,000. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois legislators are joining a national flurry of efforts to curb laws that allow police to confiscate property even if the owner isn't convicted of a crime.
The contentious practice permits law enforcement to permanently seize vehicles, cash and other property associated with illegal activity and profit from it. The Illinois proposal would allow the Prairie State to join 12 other states in requiring a criminal conviction to formally confiscate assets.
A 2016 report says Illinois law enforcement collect $30 million in forfeited property annually.
But law enforcement advocates say civil forfeiture is about more than raising funds. They say it helps undermine criminal enterprises by cutting into their operating budget.
The proposal would also establish public reporting requirements for enforcement agencies. It could receive a floor vote in the coming weeks.
In this Wednesday, April 5, 2017 photo, Kara Bland sits in her car in Chicago. Blandâs 2010 Chevy Malibu still had temporary plates when police seized it for a crime she did not commit. She loaned it to the father of her daughter, who was arrested after picking up someone who had marijuana on him. For six weeks, Bland took her daughter to school on a Chicago city bus and relatives helped her run errands before a judge released the car on bond. It took a total of nine months to officially regain ownership and cost her $1,000. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, April 5, 2017 photo, Kara Bland sits in her car in Chicago. Bland was a victim of a contentious practice that allows law enforcement to seize vehicles, cash and other property thought to be connected to a crime, and to profit from it. The plight of innocents whose property is seized has helped fuel a flurry of legal changes throughout the country that seek to limit such police powers. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The Associated Press