After examining 43,000 reports from local law enforcement agencies sent to the Justice Department, The Washington Post has found that "police agencies have used hundreds of millions of dollars taken from Americans under federal civil forfeiture law in recent years to buy guns, armored cars and electronic surveillance gear. They have also spent money on luxury vehicles, travel and a clown named Sparkles." While the law was meant to impede illegal drug trafficking, it also has meant that law enforcement can seize property without having to prove a crime has occurred, the Post further reports. The Post found that 81 percent of the $2.5 billion reported on the forms was taken in cases in which no indictment was filed.
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