General Discussion

tishaLA

(14,176 posts) Wed Mar 4, 2015, 03:39 PM Mar 2015

Ferguson Report: "Officers expect and demand compliance..."

even when they lack legal authority."

* "Ferguson’s law enforcement practices are shaped by the City’s focus on revenue rather than by public safety needs."

* "They are inclined to interpret the exercise of free-speech rights as unlawful disobedience, innocent movements as physical threats, indications of mental or physical illness as belligerence.

* "In every canine bite incident in which racial information is available, the person bitten was African-American."

* "Investigation indicates" disproportionate arrests "cannot be explained by any difference in the rate at which diff races violate the law."

* "Officials have...asserted that harsh and disparate results....reflect a pervasive lack of personal responsibility among certain segments."

* "The City's 'personal responsibility' refrain is telling: it reflects...the same stereotypes found in emails between police and court."

5 replies

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Highlight:

Ferguson Report: "Officers expect and demand compliance..." (Original Post) tishaLA Mar 2015 OP

same old thing, new way to describe it guillaumeb Mar 2015 #1

Pretty damning stuff tularetom Mar 2015 #2

As an example, the report notes tishaLA Mar 2015 #3

and indefinitely incarcerate 2naSalit Mar 2015 #4

Google has really gone downhill. Trillo Mar 2015 #5

guillaumeb

(42,641 posts)

1. same old thing, new way to describe it

Reply to tishaLA (Original post)

Wed Mar 4, 2015, 03:51 PM

Mar 2015

When they say:
* "Officials have...asserted that harsh and disparate results....reflect a pervasive lack of personal responsibility among certain segments."
Is "certain segments" yet another code name for black people"?

tularetom

(23,664 posts)

2. Pretty damning stuff

Reply to tishaLA (Original post)

Wed Mar 4, 2015, 03:59 PM

Mar 2015

I was struck by one of the bullet points:

* "Ferguson’s law enforcement practices are shaped by the City’s focus on revenue rather than by public safety needs."

This is becoming standard operating procedure for a lot of cash strapped cities, as fines for routine traffic offenses now run as high as three or four hundred dollars.

tishaLA

(14,176 posts)

3. As an example, the report notes

Reply to tularetom (Reply #2)

Wed Mar 4, 2015, 04:17 PM

Mar 2015

In March 2011, police chief tells City Manager that fines and tickets allowed them to "beat our next biggest month in the last four years."

The City Manager exclaimed, "Wonderful!"

"May is the 6th straight month in which court revenue has exceeded the previous year," the Police Chief said

And all this, mind you, was on arrests of Black folks that exceeded 90% of fines. The report says that the cops were the de facto "collection agency," but a collection agency with guns and the right to kill

2naSalit

(86,868 posts)

4. and indefinitely incarcerate

Reply to tishaLA (Reply #3)

Wed Mar 4, 2015, 04:36 PM

Mar 2015

those unable to pay escalating fines that increase over time and with each interaction with authorities.

We need law enforcement reform all over the country, now.

Trillo

(9,154 posts)

5. Google has really gone downhill.

Reply to tishaLA (Original post)

Wed Mar 4, 2015, 05:08 PM

Mar 2015

I wanted to read the DOJ report in more detail. So went to Google and typed in "Ferguson DOJ Report" without the quotes. Not one .gov site was on the first page of results.

www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/ferguson_police_department_report.pdf

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