NCJ Number
146125
Date Published
1993
Length
60 pages
Annotation
This is the final evaluation report for Wayne County's (Michigan) PUSH-OFF (Purchasers' Use of Streets and Highways - Opt for Forfeitures) Program, which encourages police and prosecutors to use existing forfeiture laws to seize the automobiles and other property of those caught buying and using drugs.
Abstract
Michigan's civil forfeiture laws provide police agencies with the necessary authority to seize and dispose of vehicles and other property used in the drug trade. It provides that vehicles used to transport drugs or facilitate drug trafficking are subject to confiscation and forfeiture. A process and impact evaluation of the programs was conducted. The process evaluation consisted of regular meetings between the evaluator and program staff to document program progress and an analysis of the management information system data that describes each seizure. The impact evaluation involved selection of intervention and control neighborhoods within one Wayne County city and implementation of a reverse-buy operation in the intervention neighborhood. Camouflaged video cameras monitored drug-selling activities in the two neighborhoods. The results of the process evaluation show that the program completed each of the intended objectives. Between September 1, 1990, and March 31, 1993, 2,120 vehicles were seized. The program generated over $456,165 in income that was shared by the local police agencies and the PUSH-OFF administrative office to offset program cost. The impact evaluation shows that a reverse-buy operation significantly reduced drug selling in a neighborhood. Further research should determine how long a 1-week intervention continues to discourage drug- selling. 9 figures and 6 tables