FWIW, the OP does allude to the militarization of the police when describing the violence used in their cash-grabs:
> In the midst of festivities one evening in late May, 2008, forty-odd officers in black commando gear stormed the gallery and its rear patio, ordering the guests to the ground. Some in attendance thought that they were the victims of an armed robbery. One young woman who had fallen only to her knees told me that a masked figure screamed at her, “Bitch, you think you’re too pretty to get in the mud?” A boot from behind kicked her to the ground"
While the militarization of police is a huge issue, it's one that is orthogonal to the one the OP tackles. A system in which police can confiscate property -- with very low risk of being called out for it -- and share a cut of the seized goods (with the prosecutors) will quickly lead to a very bad situation. It doesn't matter if the money goes to buying more commando gear or towards a prosecutor's vacation home.
> In the midst of festivities one evening in late May, 2008, forty-odd officers in black commando gear stormed the gallery and its rear patio, ordering the guests to the ground. Some in attendance thought that they were the victims of an armed robbery. One young woman who had fallen only to her knees told me that a masked figure screamed at her, “Bitch, you think you’re too pretty to get in the mud?” A boot from behind kicked her to the ground"
While the militarization of police is a huge issue, it's one that is orthogonal to the one the OP tackles. A system in which police can confiscate property -- with very low risk of being called out for it -- and share a cut of the seized goods (with the prosecutors) will quickly lead to a very bad situation. It doesn't matter if the money goes to buying more commando gear or towards a prosecutor's vacation home.