Policing for Profit 3

Published in 2020, this is an older edition of IJ’s landmark Policing for Profit report. You can download the report here, but please see the fourth and current edition for the most up-to-date information.

Additional Resources

New Mexico Crime Analysis

• Analysis
• Appendix
• Journal article

National Data

National_Revenue.csv contains standardized key forfeiture revenue data for 45 states. Click for key variables, definitions and values.

National_Expense.csv contains standardized key forfeiture expenditure data for 16 states. Click for key variables, definitions and values.

State Data

State_Revenue.zip contains separate forfeiture revenue datasets for each state. Each spreadsheet includes the standardized key variables contained in Revenue.csv and additional variables unique to each state. See the data notes on state profiles for details about a particular state. Contact the authors for documentation pertaining to individual states. Click for key variables, definitions and values.

State_Expense.zip contains separate forfeiture expenditure datasets for each state. Each spreadsheet includes the standardized key variables contained in Expense.csv and additional variables unique to each state. See the data notes on state profiles for details about a particular state. Contact the authors for documentation pertaining to individual states. Click for key variables, definitions and values.

Federal Data

Variables, Definitions and Values

National Revenue Data

• RevenueID – Unique ID for row in Revenue.csv. Also serves as the primary key in IJ’s database.
• ID – Foreign key for IJ’s database maintenance purposes.
• YEAR – Generally represents the fiscal or calendar year in which property was forfeited. If date was not available, YEAR represents the year for which the report was filed.
• UNIT_TYPE – Unit of observation. Values: property, case, other. “Other” units include data reported at higher levels, such as by agency, county, or state, among others.
• PROP_TYPE – Type of property forfeited. Values: currency, vehicles, real property, other.
• REV – Value forfeited. Value can include estimated value, gross revenue or net proceeds; varies by state.
• PROCD_TYPE – Type of forfeiture proceeding. Values: civil judicial, civil, criminal, administrative, judicial, summary, contested, uncontested, other, unknown.
• CONV_TYPE – Conviction outcome. Values: conviction, no conviction.
• CASE_NO – Case number associated with the forfeiture.

National Expenditure Data

• RevenueID – Unique ID for row in Expense.csv. Also serves as the primary key in IJ’s database.
• ID – Foreign key for IJ’s database maintenance purposes.
• YEAR – Generally represents the fiscal or calendar year in which funds were spent. If date was not available, YEAR represents the year for which the report was filed.
• EXP_TYPE – Category of expense paid from forfeiture fund. Values: court costs, community programs and donations, outside services, travel and training, investigation costs, victim compensation and services, operating expenses, personnel, equipment and capital expenditures, other.
• EXP_AMT – Amount expended.

State Revenue Data

• RevenueID – Unique ID for row in Revenue.csv. Also serves as the primary key in IJ’s database.
• ID – Foreign key for IJ’s database maintenance purposes.
• YEAR – Generally represents the fiscal or calendar year in which property was forfeited. If date was not available, YEAR represents the year for which the report was filed.
• UNIT_TYPE – Unit of observation. Values: property, case, other. “Other” units include data reported at higher levels, such as by agency, county, or state, among others.
• PROP_TYPE – Type of property forfeited. Values: currency, vehicles, real property, other.
• REV – Value forfeited. Value can include estimated value, gross revenue or net proceeds; varies by state.
• PROCD_TYPE – Type of forfeiture proceeding. Values: civil judicial, civil, criminal, administrative, judicial, summary, contested, uncontested, other, unknown.
• CONV_TYPE – Conviction outcome. Values: conviction, no conviction.
• CASE_NO – Case number associated with the forfeiture.

Note: Arkansas’ data departs from the file name convention because it had only seizure data and no consistent forfeiture revenue data.

State Expenditure Data

• RevenueID – Unique ID for row in Expense.csv. Also serves as the primary key in IJ’s database.
• ID – Foreign key for IJ’s database maintenance purposes.
• YEAR – Generally represents the fiscal or calendar year in which funds were spent. If date was not available, YEAR represents the year for which the report was filed.
• EXP_TYPE – Category of expense paid from forfeiture fund. Values: court costs, community programs and donations, outside services, travel and training, investigation costs, victim compensation and services, operating expenses, personnel, equipment and capital expenditures, other.
• EXP_AMT – Amount expended.