The Effects of Asset Forfeiture on Policing: A Panel Approach

Abstract

Asset forfeiture has proven highly controversial in the United States since its expansion in 1984. Most controversial is the widespread policy that allows police agencies to keep the assets seized, which both proponents and critics assert changes police behavior. From newly developed panel data sets, we find some statistical support for the proposition that police agencies change the intensity and pattern of crime policing in response to forfeiture. However, in economic terms these effects are very weak and do not support the proposition that forfeiture provides vital funds and incentives for crime policing.

The Data Notes for this paper are available at the following URL: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2394360

Keywords: asset forfeiture, policing, arrest, crime rates

JEL Classification: H39, H71, K42