Canadians should be careful of carrying large sums of currency on their trips south of the border, warns the CBC’s senior Washington correspondent, Neil MacDonald, since “U.S. police are operating a co-ordinated scheme to seize as much of the public’s cash as they can. … if you’re on an American roadway with a full wallet, in the eyes of thousands of cash-hungry cops you’re a rolling ATM.”
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Civil foreiture does exist here in Canada but hasn’t been abused as it has in the US. One factor may be the fact that the proceeds do not go to the seizing police department or prosecutor. There is a potential benefit to the seizing agency in that the proceeds go into a fund form which grants for which police agencies are eligible are made, but the benefit is uncertain and indirect.
In the Boston market, “Public Storage” has been running radio ads promising diligent protection of tenants’ property:
“We’ll treat your stuff like its our stuff!”
Various corrupt US sheriff, police, and DA offices could use the same slogan, but with a slightly different meaning…