Project "Accountability"

Excellent move by our Toronto Police Services.  To see the tonnes of money and property, including houses, seized by the TPS, go to link. 

...The mandate of TPS Financial Crimes Unit,  Asset Forfeiture Section is to investigate property that has been, or may be, seized during the course of a police investigation, and to make a determination on the appropriate disposition of the property.
The dispositions can include:
- returning it to the person from whom it was seized
- returning it to a person who is lawfully able to posses it, or
- seeking forfeiture of the property through all forfeiture avenues available
The property can include evidence, proceeds of crime and/or offence related property.
This year, to date, the Toronto Police Service has had the following successes:

SEIZURES
• Cash - $5,577,020 CAD, $52,181 USD
• Vehicles- 63 (several motorcycles, 1 boat)
• Grow Ops- 3 (2 currently restrained)
• Property Restraints - 3

FORFEITURES
• Cash - $680,655.72 CAD, $13,278.00 USD

The Asset Forfeiture Unit has had a number of successes recently that have resulted directly from community involvement. In July, $2.1 million was seized after concerned citizens called police about suspicious men in a condominium complex in Etobicoke. In August, a seizure in a hotel room.

The Asset Forfeiture Unit has also started an initiative that focuses not only on the criminal, but also on the owners of property in Ontario who, knowingly, allow their property to be used in a criminal manner. The goal of this initiative is to hold property owners accountable for what occurs on their property. This initiative has been called Project "Accountability."

The Toronto Police Service, through crime analysis, calls for service, intelligence-led policing, and community complainants, has identified problem properties that are a constant drain on police resources and affect the quality of life for local residents.

A perpetual problem property is an address which has utilized a significant amount of police resources (when compared to other addresses in the neighbourhood and/or similar business throughout the city), and has greatly affected the quality of life for members of the community, yet the underlying problem continues to occur. Several examples of perpetual problem properties include marijuana grow-operations, crack houses, booze cans, and after-hours clubs.

Through "Accountability," our aim, as a Service, is to:
- eliminate the illegal activities which are putting a strain on police resources,
- reduce crime and disorder in the affected communities
- prevent victimization
- take profit out of crime
- force property owners to be accountable
- utilize the Ministry of the Attorney General, Public Property Services Canada, and Civil

Remedies Illicit Activities to successfully seize and forfeit proceeds of crime and properties that fall within the definition of perpetual problem properties
- improve the quality of life for residents of the City of Toronto.........