The Southeast Iowa Inter-Agency Drug Task Force holds an annual public auction of forfeited property. The auction is generally held in the fall. The last auction was October 31, 2015.
Many criminals are motivated by greed and the acquisition of material goods. Therefore, the ability of the government to forfeit property connected with criminal activity can be an effective law enforcement tool by reducing the incentive for illegal conduct. Asset forfeiture “takes the profit out of crime” by helping to eliminate the ability of the offender to command resources necessary to continue illegal activities.
The use of asset forfeiture in criminal investigations aims to undermine the economic infrastructure of the criminal enterprise. Criminal enterprises in many ways mirror legitimate businesses. They require employees, equipment, and cash flow to operate. Criminal enterprises also generate a profit from the sale of their “product” or “services.” The obvious difference is that the profit generated from criminal enterprises is derived from criminal activity. Asset forfeiture can remove the tools, equipment, cash flow, profit, and, sometimes, the product itself, from the criminals and the criminal organization, rendering the criminal organization powerless to operate.
We work with several other law enforcement agencies to identify, investigate, apprehend and prosecute drug and drug related criminal offenders in its seven county area. This multi-jurisdictional team targets drug manufacturers and traffickers through shared investigatory and prosecutorial resources. Our expected outcome is to reduce the availability and demand for controlled substances through the use of the multi-jurisdictional task force in conjunction with its member agencies.
