The Atlanta LP Files Suit!

Golly Gosh Batman, just what are you spending all that confiscated cash on?

Looks like the guys and gals over at the Libertarian Party  Atlanta affiliate are pretty damn serious about finding out and have joined a lawsuit to force the City of ATL to comply with existing law and inform the generally unconcerned public about what they're doing with all that cash and bling and property they've seized. It's supposed to run in the millions but nobody knows as the required reports on disposition aren't getting done.

Until now.

Kudos to the members of LP Atlanta for stepping up and using the system to fight the system. It's the best bit o' news I've heard this month. Here's the press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(ATLANTA, 3/30/2011) – Today, Libertarian Party of Atlanta members Josiah Neff and Joseph Kidd joined a lawsuit as co-plaintiffs against the Fulton County Police Department, the Fulton County Sheriff Department and the Atlanta Police Department.  The suit alleges that the law enforcement agencies named in the suit are violating requirements in state law to annually report and itemize all property obtained through forfeiture proceedings to local governing authorities. 

Neff and Kidd filed suit along with three other taxpaying residents of Atlanta and Fulton County to seek proper disclosure of property obtained by forfeiture.  The plaintiffs are not seeking any sort of monetary damages and are being represented by attorneys from the Institute for Justice. 

“As a resident of Atlanta and Fulton County, I believe agencies should comply with requirements to disclose the property they have seized and how those assets are being used,” said Neff.  He continued, “Our public servants have a duty to follow the law.”

“We continually hear how our local governments are being forced to cut public safety budgets, yet we have no accountability for how the police are using the property they obtain through forfeiture,” added Kidd.

Recent federal data shows agencies around Georgia obtaining millions through forfeiture, yet out of fifteen major agencies in Georgia, only one was able to produce the required report.  One example of questionable use was Camden County’s expenditure of $90,000 to purchase a Dodge Viper for the Sheriffs Department. 

The case is Van Meter v. Turner and was filed Wednesday in the Superior Court of Fulton County.

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The Libertarian Party of Atlanta is committed to the establishment of liberty as the central focus of political debate.  As citizens of Atlanta, we primarily concentrate on the issues that directly affect our city, striving to bring liberty and individual freedom into focus for our local government officials.  We are an active group determined to make a difference.  If you believe in our mission, we want you join our team.
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Brad Ploeger
Secretary
Libertarian Party of Atlanta
404.939.0367 / brad.ploeger@lpgeorgia.com