Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting (https://kycir.org/tag/asset-forfeiture/)
Money seized through asset forfeiture provides leverage in resolving drug trafficking cases and has become an ingrained aspect of the justice system in Louisville, our investigation found.
Kentucky law says seized money must be used for direct law enforcement purposes. A KyCIR review of $3.7 million in spending records shows agencies take varied interpretations of that law.
The proposal would bolster existing reporting requirements related to the seizing of cash and property by law enforcement, and agencies that don’t comply would lose out on money.
In Kentucky, 11 percent of police agencies report how much suspected drug money they seize every year. How much nearly 300 other agencies take is unclear.