NCJ Number
146506
Date Published
1993
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video instructs police officers in the benefits of asset forfeiture, the legal authority for asset forfeiture, and how a law enforcement agency can maximize its proceeds from asset forfeiture.
Abstract
The information is imparted primarily through lectures by Arlette Hernes, Assistant District Attorney of the New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor's Office, and Detective Stephen McDonald, formerly with the New York City Police Department. The video provides charts and dramatizations to illustrate points made in the lectures. Asset forfeiture is explained as a way of confiscating the tools and profits of criminal activity and using them to fund law enforcement and other government services. The video profiles the three major benefits of asset forfeiture procedures: financing drug control operations; taking away the profits of illegal activities; and encouraging cooperation among Federal, State, and local government agencies. With the help of animated drawings and charts, the video profiles several mechanisms for asset forfeiture and describes the advantages and disadvantages of each. The lectures also provide tips on how to get the most from asset forfeiture laws, such as investigating the assets of a suspect before an arrest, using confidential informants to obtain information on a suspect's assets, and making timely claims through Federal offices. A printed learning guide that accompanies the video contains program objectives, an outline of the video's main points, a review quiz, and discussion questions.