All searches and other investigative techniques in both criminal and forfeiture cases are still held up to rigorous scrutiny by the courts for statutory and constitutional validity. Further, the Kansas law prohibits forfeiture funds from being used to supplant general funds so that agency operations, including the individual officer's salary, aren't affected by the number or kind of forfeitures. Young officers may be overly enthusiastic in any investigation. But the courts are there to correct any mistakes or inappropriate applications of forfeiture law. There is no conflict of interest.
Forfeiture is a separate civil action, completely independent of the criminal case.
The same is true of forfeiture. Only four states require a conviction to proceed with a forfeiture, and as noted above, the US Congress rejected the idea of requiring conviction in last year's federal forfeiture reform bill. Or take the case in Colby last year, where a very large scale marijuana dealer took his own life rather than face prison again. HB 2405 also prohibits forfeiting of homesteads. Under appropriate circumstances, forfeiture is appropriate.