Top all-time · #7903
Christopher Ingraham
Personal blog · thewhyaxis.substack.comdataeconomics
Christopher Ingraham writes The Why Axis, a personal blog at thewhyaxis.substack.com about data and economics. Since 2021, 9 different Hacker News readers have linked it 9 times, most often “Cops still take more stuff from people than burglars do”. The last post was in 2022, but the archive is still widely read.
Too few sampled comments (5) to say how often HN recommends it.?
Why HN links it
Linked in HN threads as a source on US civil asset forfeiture, covering typical seizure amounts and forfeiture totals compared with burglary. Comments cite it for data without judging the writing.
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 5 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
Making data fun again.
Most-linked posts?
- Cops still take more stuff from people than burglars do6 people · 6 mentions · first linked 2023-08-02
What Hacker News says?
What constitutes a large sum depends a bit based on the situation (or what kind of person you are!). A 2020 study found the average seized was $1300: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_forfeiture_in_the_United... In some states, the average seized amount is in the hundreds, or even less: https://thewhyaxis.substack.com/p/cops-still-take-more-stuff... In Chicago, they are taking amounts less than $100: https://reaso…
Comment linking /p/cops-still-take-more-stuff-from-people
on “Nevada court shuts down police use of federal loophole for civil forfeiture”Submitted A “Sideways” supply response in California winegrapes as a story · 267 points
HN discussionWaPo claimed in 2015 that civil asset forfeitures exceeded losses to bulglars: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/11/23/cops-... Here's a blog from 2019 with some more info -- 2014/2015 CAF included Bernie Madoff money, but the amount they seize every year is still shocking: https://thewhyaxis.substack.com/p/cops-still-take-more-stuff...
Comment linking /p/cops-still-take-more-stuff-from-people
on “Gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department”Submitted NYT gives 'water witches' the both-sides treatment as a story · 83 points
HN discussionhttps://thewhyaxis.substack.com/p/cops-still-take-more-stuff... "This process is called civil asset forfeiture, and in practice it often works very similar to highway robbery. Authorities can take literally whatever they want from you — cash, vehicles, your home, your Playstation 5 — and they can keep it, without ever convicting or even charging you with a crime. All they have to do is say they suspect you committed…
Comment linking /p/cops-still-take-more-stuff-from-people
on “Jim Larkin, Backpage Exec, Dies by Suicide a Week Before His Trial”Submitted New data shows Americans more miserable than we've been in half a century as a story · 75 points
HN discussionbecause since 9/11 the US has ridden a wave of fear into a police state where the police steal more than thieves ( https://thewhyaxis.substack.com/p/cops-still-take-more-stuff... , https://www.nemannlawoffices.com/blog/law-enforcement-seized... ) because it's legal for them to just take your stuff without ever convicting you of a crime or even charging you with one ( https://www.aclupa.org/en/issues/criminal-justice…
Comment linking /p/cops-still-take-more-stuff-from-people
on “Las Vegas man who called 911 for help killed by police in his home”Submitted Cops still take more stuff from people than burglars do as a story · 28 points
HN discussionIf anyone else was curious for more recent data, this 2021 article has the trends through 2019: https://thewhyaxis.substack.com/p/cops-still-take-more-stuff... . Its chart shows that burglary led from 2016-2018, but asset forfeiture was ahead again in 2023.
Comment linking /p/cops-still-take-more-stuff-from-people
on “Police Seized Innocent Peoples Property, Kept It for Years. What Will SCOTUS Do?”