August 27, 1999

The Honorable Orrin G. Hatch
Chairman
Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510-4402

Dear Chairman Hatch:

On behalf of the organizations listed above, we are writing to express our profound concern over possible efforts to include the provisions of H.R. 1658, the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act , in the Juvenile Justice Conference Report. We urge you to oppose any effort to attach these provisions in the Juvenile Justice Conference Report.

Our organizations believe that one of the most effective weapons that law enforcement has in the drug war is the ability to deprive drug dealers of the proceeds of their illegal activities or the instruments used to commit their crime through the use of civil asset forfeiture proceedings. However, the provisions of H.R. 1658, if enacted, would effectively eliminate law enforcement’s ability to use this vital tool.

Once again, our organizations urge you to oppose any effort to include the provisions of H.R. 1658 in the Juvenile Justice Conference Report.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Richard Gallo, President, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association
Ronald E. Brooks, Chairman, National Narcotic Officers’ Associations Coalition
Jess Quintero, Executive Director, Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association
Stuart Van Meveren, District Attorney, 8th Judicial District, Fort Collins, CO & President, National District Attorneys Association
Ronald S. Neubauer, Chief of Police, St. Peters, MO & President, International Association of Chiefs of Police
Robert Stewart, Executive Director, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
Kenneth T. Lyons, President, International Brotherhood of Police Officers
Sheriff Philip McKelvey, President, National Sheriffs’ Association
Arthur Reddy, President, International Union of Police Associations
Scott Reinacher, Chairman, National Troopers’ Coalition
Reuben Ortaga, Chief of Police, Salt Lake City, UT & Chair, Major Cities Chiefs of Police
Chuck Wexler, Executive Director, Police Executive Research Forum
Robert T. Scully, Executive Director, National Association of Police Organizations
Cameron Holmes, State and Local Component of the Arizona Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee

Related Link

Juvenile Justice Conferees: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT), Ranking Member Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), Youth Violence Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Strom Thurmond (R-SC), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry J. Hyde (R-IL), Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI), Representatives Bob Barr (R-GA), Howard L. Berman (D-CA), Howard Coble (R-NC), Barney Frank (D-MA), George W. Gekas (R-PA), Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Bill McCollum (R-FL), Representative Robert C. Scott (D-VA), and Lamar S. Smith (R-TX).