I don't even like my 50-50 bill anymore. Sen. Blank voted to take money away from the kids and give it to the cops so they can buy guns to knock down doors in urban neighborhoods. That's powerful stuff. Legislators this session want to adjust the current law. One bill that appears ready to pass the Senate would penalize police agencies that do not file required audits of forfeited money with the state auditor's office and the Department of Public Safety.
Forfeiture is the legal term for when a judge orders money confiscated.
The Kansas City Police Department is the only law enforcement agency in the state that has filed its audits each year, according to the state auditor's office. Lawmakers also are considering a proposal the state attorney general's office gave to Wiggins. Several law enforcement agencies have said when officers find money, they haven't actually seized it in the legal sense. That way, they believe they can give the money to a federal agent without violating state law. Make clear that money believed to be abandoned or unclaimed but connected with drugs can be forfeited in state court.