The Comprehensive Crime Act of 1984 dramatically increased drug arrests and property seizures by allowing law enforcement to circumvent state and local laws. This resulted in confiscations approximately doubling every year from 1985 until reaching almost \$5 billion in total value in 1992. Because this asset forfeiture raises the financial costs of doing drugs, it effectively acts as a sin tax. This system provides direct financial perks to police departments, and its proponents rely on the same rationales used to justify traditional sin taxes.

University of Oklahoma

Google

The "War on Drugs" has two major benefits to police: 
- 1) Drug statistics give them an easy way of appearing effective, 
- 2) The property and monetary seizures allow them to reap a sin tax.

The Benefit to Police of a War on Drugs

Benson, Bruce & RASMUSSEN, DAVID. (1996). Predatory Public Finance and the Origins of the War on Drugs. The Independent Review. I. 

Predatory public Finance and the Origins of the War on Drugs

Taxpayers, politicians, and interest groups use police statistics as a way to measure how effective the police are. Given that arrest rates are a commonly-used statistic, drug crimes (due to the fact that they don't need to be reported by a victim) are a simple and easy way to boost that statistic. The property seizures also allow them to argue their own efficacy. This in turn helps them argue for increased funding.

Learn Before

Related