POLICE AUCTIONS HELP FUND CRIME-FIGHTING

Nicholas Cole / Posted on June 17, 2002 Auction sites have become extremely
popular among people who surf the Internet, but perhaps the most popular
auction sites are those offering merchandise seized from drug dealers.

One site in particular is run by former police officers from California and
can be accessed at www.propertyroom.com. Its motto is "Steal it Back" - as
in: Get a good deal.

The site splits the proceeds from the auction with various police
departments, meaning the money eventually gets back to taxpayers.

Monroe Police Chief Joe Stewart said there are not any auction sites
operated by local police, "but we do have auctions open to the public."

Bill Tubre, investigator for the Metro Narcotics Unit of Ouachita Parish,
said they usually have one auction a year.

"Everything goes," he said. "If it's a new Escalade, and you're the only
one bidding on it for $100, then it goes."

Tubre said a portion of the proceeds from the auction go to the Metro
operating fund to be used in the war against drugs. He said a portion also
goes to the District Attorney's Office and the 4th Judicial District Court
fund.

Tubre said 60 percent of the funds go Metro, 20 percent of the funds go to
the District Attorney's office, and 20 percent goes to the 4th Judicial
District Court.

"All of the funds are used to lower the cost in the war against drugs,"
Tubre said. "The DA has expenses because they have to prosecute, and the
courts have expenses because it creates expenses for the judges when
someone goes to court for drugs."

Tubre said, for example, if someone pleads guilty to drug possession, and
he or she has a vehicle that's paid for worth $10,000, the vehicle is
seized and $6,000 is given to Metro. The district attorney's office and the
4th Judicial District Court would each receive $2,000.

Tubre said Metro uses the money from the auctions to buy information and drugs.

He said Metro is planning to hold the next auction sometime in the fall,
probably in September.

Tubre said Metro is required by law to run an advertisement in the
newspaper 30 days prior to the auction date. He said the auction is usually
held on a Saturday beginning at 9 a.m.

"We mostly auction off vehicles, computers, stereos, a lot of other
electronics, bedroom furniture, just about everything," Tubre said.

A lot of drug dealers, when they're arrested, haven't filed an income tax
return in years, Tubre said, but they have a lot of the luxury things most
people work so hard to obtain.