Small Towns Profit from Drug Busts May 10, 2005
News Summary
Tiny rural towns along interstates favored by drug dealers have reaped millions in seized funds and property as the result of traffic stops, the Chicago Tribune reported May 9.Hoganville, Ga., located off I-85, has received $2.4 million as a result of stopping cars suspected of carrying drugs or cash. In many such cases, local police seize large sums of money even when no drugs are present, betting that no one will return to claim the cash.
"We read the newspapers, and we saw what other towns were doing, so we said, 'Why can't we?' Now, we've got agencies calling us from all over asking us how to do it," said Hoganville Police Chief Guy Spradlin. "We want the community to know that we are taking something from the drug dealers. We are taking something bad and making something positive."
Traffic stops often are made for small infractions, like broken tail lights, expired license plates, or excessive lane changes. If federal officials take part in a bust, such as through Operation Pipeline, local agencies get 80 percent of any proceeds, with the DEA getting the other 20 percent. But when local authorities handle the case themselves, they can keep all of the seized assets. Refugio County, Texas, for example, took in more than $6 million by patrolling a five-mile stretch of I-10.
With Atlanta growing in importance as a drug distribution center, many small towns along I-85 have benefited from seizures. Some critics, however, say small-town police engage in racial profiling to make traffic stops.
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