Is Civil forfeiture in the US, a threat to public safety?

Question

So this was sparked by the recent topic on the school cop seizing the unlicensed vendors money. I don't think many people know what really happened here (not that it's right) but it's actually a law that allows it. (Shocking) 
Civil forfeiture in the United States, also called civil asset forfeiture or civil judicial forfeiture[1] or occasionally civil seizure, is a controversial legal process in which law enforcement officers take assets from persons suspected of involvement with crime or illegal activity without necessarily charging the owners with wrongdoing.(wiki definition) 
I found the most recent article on this, and it looks to be lawmakers are looking to reform. 
Keeping the pix of the article short. It should be most recent on google https://www.google.com/amp/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_59b92315e4b0edff9717ea65/amp

Do you civil forfeiture (as is) is a threat to public safety?

Answer

Civil asset forfeiture violates the Fourth Amendment. With the exception of probable cause and seizures of relevant items to a case, asset forfeiture actions taken by law enforcement without warrants violate the wording and intent of the Fourth Amendment prohibition of “unreasonable searches and seizures."
   
Civil forfeiture laws pose some of the greatest threats to property rights in the nation today, too often making it easy and lucrative for law enforcement to take and keep property—regardless of the owner’s guilt or innocence. 
   
Statistical evidence suggests a strong upward trend in towards greater seizure activity. In 1986, the Department of Justice's Asset Forfeiture Fund took in $93.7 million; in 2008, it took in $1 billion. In 2010, claimants challenged 1,800 civil forfeiture seizures in federal court. Reform was proposed as needed in 2000. 
   
Where asset forfeiture has the power to disrupt or dismantle criminal organizations which would continue to function if we only convicted and incarcerated specific individuals, that doesn't mean it should be applied uniformly and loosely to all. 
   
If you’ve ever wondered why police departments so vehemently oppose the legalization of marijuana, you only have to follow the advice of Hal Holbrook’s incarnation of Deep Throat, and “follow the money.” You won’t have to follow the money all too far before you realize that marijuana prohibition is fueling a steady flow of money and assets to police departments across the country via the practice of civil asset forfeiture. 
   
Example of corruption: A deputy for the Humboldt County’s Sheriff Office in rural Nevada has been accused of confiscating over $60,000 from drivers who were never charged with a crime.  These cash seizures are now the subject of two federal lawsuits and are the latest to spotlight a little-known police practice called civil forfeiture.
       
This is one of the very many instances of why Americans struggle trusting the police.

Answer

Should be illegal in my opinion.

Answer

I don't understand. how is it legal to take something from someone who hasn't been charged with anything themselves? or am I missing something? like, if you have been charged w a crime I would understand, they might need it for evidence or something... but if you yourself have nt been charged... how can an officer just take something from you? if this keeps up I'm going to have to brush up on 1984...

Answer

A lot of states have written laws to protect their citizens from both this and eminent domain. Unfortunately i livr in one state that doesn't protect either. But i used to live in a state that did.

Is Civil forfeiture in the US, a threat to public safety?

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