Ferguson, Mo. Police Practices Racially Biased

[Zaac]

Justice Department finds racial bias in Ferguson police practices

(Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has concluded that the Ferguson, Missouri, police department routinely engages in racially biased practices, a law enforcement official familiar with the department's findings said on Tuesday.

The investigation into the police department began in August after the shooting of unarmed African-American teen Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson sparked national protests.

Analysis of more than 35,000 pages of police records found racist comments from officers as well as statistics that showed African-Americans make up 93 percent of arrests while accounting for only 67 percent of the population in Ferguson, the official said.

...

One email sent by a Ferguson police or municipal court official joked in 2008 that Obama would not stay in office long because, "What black man holds a steady job for four years?"

Ferguson Committeewoman Patricia Bynes said she was outraged by that and other racially tinged emails found in the investigation.

"The fact that police officers and municipal court officials are using their public emails to tell racial jokes, that just reeks of arrogance and ignorance," said Bynes. "It's astounding. They think they are untouchable. The taxpayers have been paying for that racial bias."

The official said that in Ferguson's court system, African-Americans were less likely to have their cases dismissed by a municipal judge and made up 95 percent of people held longer than two days in the Ferguson jail.

The Ferguson Municipal Court, which Attorney General Eric Holder has previously criticized for unfairly penalizing the city's poor, issued the majority of its warrants for minor violations such as parking, traffic and housing code violations.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/04/us-usa-ferguson-justice-idUSKBN0LZ2CT20150304

Why on earth do people do this type stuff and leave a "paper trail"? It's the epitome of arrogance.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

The town has a 70% black population, yet the PD is 95% white.

Is it racial hiring practices ? Are blacks not applying ?

 

[Use of Time]

The town has a 70% black population, yet the PD is 95% white.

Is it racial hiring practices ? Are blacks not applying ?

With all due respect. Why would they want to? They don't appear to be all that welcome.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Well, exactly. So what do you do ?

You can't "sensitivity train" that kind of disparity away.

 

[go2church]

The numbers Bro. Curtis shared are just astounding. How does that happen?

Concerning some solutions

Saw an interview with the chief of police for Baltimore. One of the things he talked about was returning to this idea of community policing. Where the police officers actually lived in the communities where they policed. Less car patrol and more foot patrol. More positive community involvement (think little league, soap box derby type of thing) instead of only showing up when the somebody needs to be arrested.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

http://www.politifact.com/punditfac...on-police-department-has-50-white-officers-t/


Sorry for not sourcing it.

 

[Use of Time]

Well, exactly. So what do you do ?

You can't "sensitivity train" that kind of disparity away.

I don't have all the answers but it sounds like a systemic failure in leadership. If the culture in that department was to the point where people are casually swapping racist e-mails like that then it is pretty obvious they may not be the best people servicing that particular community. Also may want to have a higher level audit or periodic review to sample the arrest records as well as the court records to see if things are being handled fairly.

Ferguson is a bad example of a community with mutual (but legitimate) distrust of the police and the populace.

 

[Revmitchell]

Holder was going to find something no matter what. They were going to dig under every nook and cranny in order to save face. This is a non issue.

 

[Use of Time]

Holder was going to find something no matter what. They were going to dig under every nook and cranny in order to save face. This is a non issue.

A non issue to who? You? I have no doubt about that. Holder didn't have to look very long did he?

 

[Crabtownboy]

Holder was going to find something no matter what. They were going to dig under every nook and cranny in order to save face. This is a non issue.

Yep, a non-issue for a white boy living in New Mexico, but not if you were an African American living in Ferguson.

 

[go2church]

Holder was going to find something no matter what. They were going to dig under every nook and cranny in order to save face. This is a non issue.

When did racism become a nonissue?

 

[Use of Time]

When did racism become a nonissue?

I'm sure others will be along shortly to defend racism or deflect it back onto the populace...pull up a chair.

 

[Rolfe]

Justice Department finds racial bias in Ferguson police practices

Just to be clear, who runs the Justice Department?

Smells of politics...

 

[Zaac]

Holder was going to find something no matter what. They were going to dig under every nook and cranny in order to save face. This is a non issue.

Unfortunately lots of folks feel the same way. Yet the same folks who feel that way wonder why Blacks and others are marching and saying Black Lives Matter. It's sad that people can think the way you treat other people is a non-issue.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

When did racism become a nonissue?

I'm not ready to call the whole thing racism. I am saying the numbers cannot work. If you reversed the races, had out of area black cops patrol white neighborhoods we would have the same problem.

And Eric Holder's justice department is a complete joke, I get that. But you don't NEED a report when you see the numbers. The police force is not representative of the community. Just about every instance of police & civilian interaction will be black man, white cop.

 

[Aaron]

The town has a 70% black population, yet the PD is 95% white.

Is it racial hiring practices ? Are blacks not applying ?

The blacks hate the police. Why would they apply?

 

[Use of Time]

I'm not ready to call the whole thing racism. I am saying the numbers cannot work. If you reversed the races, had out of area black cops patrol white neighborhoods we would have the same problem.

And Eric Holder's justice department is a complete joke, I get that. But you don't NEED a report when you see the numbers. The police force is not representative of the community. Just about every instance of police & civilian interaction will be black man, white cop.

Going by demographics alone maybe not but the report showed a culture of casual racism inside the department with how they saw the community as a whole. The emails found were racist. Full stop. It's no wonder the Ferguson community is a mess. Nobody is served well with things as they are in that town. It sure isn't going to help the feelings of distrust.

 

[Salty]

The blacks hate the police. Why would they apply?

To make positive changes -
Worked for Jackie Robinson

 

[Use of Time]

To make positive changes -
Worked for Jackie Robinson

Ok, that's great but there are hundreds upon hundreds of black police officers in this country so not exactly trailblazing new territory there. Black people shouldn't have to join the police force en masse to be treated fairly Salty. It's 2015 not the 60's. The problem is on the inside in this case. Again, a failure of leadership.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Going by demographics alone maybe not but the report showed a culture of casual racism inside the department with how they saw the community as a whole. The emails found were racist. Full stop. It's no wonder the Ferguson community is a mess. Nobody is served well with things as they are in that town. It sure isn't going to help the feelings of distrust.

I agree 100%. It showed what will happen when people who don't care about the community are in charge.