Garmin 696

[Flying Pig]

As a Christmas present, a recent dope/cash seizure just got me a Garmin 696 for work.  This thing is pretty sweet.  Ive only had it out of the box for a couple hours. Anyone have one?

The plane has a KLN94 with a Bendix 850 and coupled auto pilot.  I have the XM weather and I am going to get the Jepp chart downloads put on it.

[SABRE17]

dope/cash???

please explain???

[EMT-83]

Read his signature.

[N Harmon]

dope/cash???

please explain???

Law enforcement agencies are pretty restricted on how they can spend funds seized in the course of drug enforcement. This pretty much means all of it goes to buying toys that might not otherwise get bought, which improves police effectiveness in a lot of other areas.

In my area, the local Sheriff Dept has a helicopter that they pay for (almost?) entirely from seized drug funds. A lot of people in the community are not aware of this and it becomes a sore spot when the department has to lay off deputies due to budget cuts and the helicopter stays in operation. They don't understand that drug seizures can't pay for salaries.

[Eclipse]

Law enforcement agencies are pretty restricted on how they can spend funds seized in the course of drug enforcement. This pretty much means all of it goes to buying toys that might not otherwise get bought, which improves police effectiveness in a lot of other areas.

Heh - more power to em!

[Check Pilot/Tow Pilot]

As a Christmas present, a recent dope/cash seizure just got me a Garmin 696 for work.  This thing is pretty sweet.  Ive only had it out of the box for a couple hours. Anyone have one?

The plane has a KLN94 with a Bendix 850 and coupled auto pilot.  I have the XM weather and I am going to get the Jepp chart downloads put on it.

I've got one and really enjoy everything about it except finding a good place to mount it  I recommend the ZAON PCAS products for traffic avoidance as they integrate with the x96 series.  I don't have the Jepp charts for it and would love feedback on them.   Sometimes I take the 696 in the CAP plane for enhanced situational awareness.

[Flying Pig]

As a Christmas present, a recent dope/cash seizure just got me a Garmin 696 for work.  This thing is pretty sweet.  Ive only had it out of the box for a couple hours. Anyone have one?

The plane has a KLN94 with a Bendix 850 and coupled auto pilot.  I have the XM weather and I am going to get the Jepp chart downloads put on it.

I've got one and really enjoy everything about it except finding a good place to mount it  I recommend the ZAON PCAS products for traffic avoidance as they integrate with the x96 series.  I don't have the Jepp charts for it and would love feedback on them.   Sometimes I take the 696 in the CAP plane for enhanced situational awareness.

We gots a G1000.  So I would look pretty silly taking the 696   Ill let you know how the Jepp charts work.  It would be like flying an IMax movie

[Flying Pig]

dope/cash???

please explain???

Huh?  I thought all CAP units got to seize cash on CD missions?  You dont?

Like others said above.  When we take down dope dealers we seize their cash and assets as long as we can show a nexus that either the cash or property was obtained by selling dope.  When you have a 2010 Corvette and live in a $400K house in the foothills, but havnt worked in years and are on unemployment, welfare and your kids go to private school.....Oh, and we catch you selling a bunch of meth to one of our undercovers for about $800,000....we pretty much take your stuff and use it to catch other people.  Then we take their stuff and use it to catch other people....and take their stuff and use it to catch other people....and take their stuff.....I think you see how this works   The plane I fly at work, a 2002 TC206H with a $500K mounted Gyro cam was paid for completely with seized drug money. The plane and the camera was $1.1 mil.

BUt like what was said before we can only buy equipment and in cases, use it for Narc related overtime in some cases.  We cant use it to staff regular positions.  Otherwise, when you start seizing peoples stuff to save jobs, Im sure you can see how that could be a slippery slope. 

[bosshawk]

Good explanation, Rob.

[Mustang]

Sad that CAP does not share in the bounty in a similar fashion when we help make drug busts. 

[blackrain]

Sad that CAP does not share in the bounty in a similar fashion when we help make drug busts.

Would be nice.

So many departments/local governments are underfunded at the moment they probably would fight extra hard for any seized money even if it can't go directly to personnel.

That said is there any legal/regulatory reason CAP can't get a portion of the seizure to say add more capable equipment to our aircraft?

[FW]

In the world of govt. appropriations, it would be difficult to receive such cash.  Since we get our O&M funds as a grant, any additional money would have to come through the Air Force; with AF oversight. 

This is not a bad thing for most cases.  The Air Force usually gives us many tens of thousands of dollars to fund our goodies at year's end.

[Flying Pig]

When the feds seize property and money, they cant keep it.  Only State, County and Municipal agencies can.  The feds have to auction it off.  When they seize cash, it usually goes to the local jurisdictions.  Since CAP operates under AF mission, Im sure issues come in that prevent it.  It would be interesting to know the legalities.  I dont deal with the seizures, I just get the toys afterwards    But in order to do that, CAP would need their own agent to follow up on the seizures.  Another agency isnt going to do it for you.  Either the AF would need to acting as CAPs agent or CAP would have to do it somehow.  But then, civilians 501c3 corporations cant seize assets.
We have detectives who keep track of our involvement in cases and know what our percentage of the seizure will be. Its a full time job.  Being on an AF mission number would be interesting, maybe looking like the AF is seizing money?    I think it would be an animal that CAP isnt equipped to handle.  It involves a lot of paperwork, trips to court, meetings with the DA's and US Attorneys, etc.  I think Ill research it just so I know why CAP doesnt get in on the seizures. 

Maybe Ned can elaborate?

[Major Lord]

I still think we should ask Congress for letters of Marque and Reprisal, allowing us to seize enemy booty, hang pirates, etc. The Constitution allows this. Asset forfeiture exists because Law Enforcement Agencies have been allowed to apply civil rules to criminal procedures, and seize money and property without that pesky protection from seizure of persons and effects, which I have been led to believe is still in the Constitution. If the Police decide to seize your property under forfeiture guidelines, you are not entitled to a trial ( there is also something in Constitution about the imposition of fines beyond a certain value or imprisonment without trial, but it may be just a "guideline" and not an actual law anymore) but you can sue your own property to demand it comes back to you. Do we want that kind of money?

Major Lord

[Flying Pig]

So your opposed to LE seizing property obtained through criminal enterprise?

[Major Lord]

Not at all. I just think that a defendant is lawfully entitled to a presumption that the property he possess is his, and was obtained lawfully. (  In many cases, police seize assets without even making an arrest)  This will avoid problems like the one that came up when the L.A. County Sheriff's department falsified evidence in the Donal Scott case. The LASO Deputies worked in in concert with the asset forfeiture Deputies, who admitted that the seizure of the decedent's property was their primary goal in the raid. They conducted a multi-jurisdictional "warrant service" on the elderly rancher ( a totally clean and spotless good American) and killed him during the raid. No marijuana was found on his property, as was the allegation of a confidential informant. The family sued and won millions against the County. One of thousands of such horror stories.

I think criminals should be jailed, imprisoned and killed when necessary, but this should be done within the scope of the Constitution, and asset forfeiture laws are proper only when they include due process. When they  do not, they create a relation of symbiotic parasitism between law enforcement and criminals. As they are used today, they are just wrong. (in my opinion)

Major Lord

[Flying Pig]

Not at all. I just think that a defendant is lawfully entitled to a presumption that the property he possess is his, and was obtained lawfully. (  In many cases, police seize assets without even making an arrest)  This will avoid problems like the one that came up when the L.A. County Sheriff's department falsified evidence in the Donal Scott case. The LASO Deputies worked in in concert with the asset forfeiture Deputies, who admitted that the seizure of the decedent's property was their primary goal in the raid. They conducted a multi-jurisdictional "warrant service" on the elderly rancher ( a totally clean and spotless good American) and killed him during the raid. No marijuana was found on his property, as was the allegation of a confidential informant. The family sued and won millions against the County. One of thousands of such horror stories.

I think criminals should be jailed, imprisoned and killed when necessary, but this should be done within the scope of the Constitution, and asset forfeiture laws are proper only when they include due process. When they  do not, they create a relation of symbiotic parasitism between law enforcement and criminals. As they are used today, they are just wrong. (in my opinion)

Major Lord

Ummm, OK, but the incident you cited proves exactly that the system worked.  LASO was wrong.....and they paid the price. It doesnt bring Scott back, but the courts ruled that this IS NOT how you do it.
If they had gotten away with it, I could see your point.  Its like saying all cops are dirty when its the police themselves are the ones arresting and prosecuting the bad ones in their midst.  Looks like the checks and balances worked in the end.

I think you have a misconception about how seizing property works and how its justified.

[Major Lord]

Robert,

The family won a few million dollars, but they lost their grandpa, spent all the families money in litigation, and eventually lost their property. The Deputies got paid for a few days of O.T. to attend depositions.  I would not characterize this as a win-win for justice. I know that LE must meet a  standard for the justification for forfeiture, but that threshold is fairly low. I don't do criminal defense work, but I think that the standards called for in criminal law provide a safer environment for everyone. You know I don't think all cops are criminals, but when agencies are depending on forfeitures to fund their agencies, they have a conflict of interest.

I did not mean to hijack your Garmin thread. They make great gear. There is also not a chance in the world that CAP will ever share forfeiture monies! We would be better off competing against the Girl Scouts with our own brand of cookies....

Major Lord

[Mustang]

The LASO Deputies worked in in concert with the asset forfeiture Deputies, who admitted that the seizure of the decedent's property was their primary goal in the raid.

When criminal intent such as this is uncovered, those officers responsible should be fired and charged with their crimes--up to and including homicide, when their actions result in the death of an innocent individual. This is not at "oops, my bad; won't happen again" type of thing in my mind.

[Trung Si Ma]

Back to the toy thread -

Bob - How about a PIREP on the 696 with the JEPP's.  I have an Aera 560 and think that I will switch to a 696 when the annual subscriptions (included in the purchase price) are used up.  I rarely use it in Automobile mode so I think that I want the bigger screen.