Equitable Sharing

While there are many reasons that forfeiture has grown into a billion-dollar enterprise, one of them is undoubtedly the federal equitable sharing program. Equitable sharing allows state and local law enforcement agencies to partner with federal agencies to forfeit property under federal law and receive a share of the proceeds. One of the program’s primary stated goals is “to promote and enhance cooperation among” federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. ¹  However, equitable sharing also gives state and local agencies the opportunity to supplement their state forfeiture haul while letting the federal government do all the work after the seizure—and, indeed, the opportunity to pursue forfeitures that would be more difficult (if not impossible) or less lucrative under state law.