The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a scathing report on the Ferguson Police Department and the city government. Initiated in the wake of the riots over the killing of unarmed teen Michael Brown in 2013, the document revealed a racial bias so profound in Ferguson that it is reminiscent of the 1950s segregated South.
As reported previously in rolling out, the city of Ferguson relies on the revenue generated by fines and court fees. After sales tax revenue, these fees are the second biggest revenue generator for Ferguson. The report revealed the following shocking facts:
-85 percent of all traffic stops were Black drivers
-90 percent of all tickets issued were to Black residents
-95 percent of arrests for petty crimes like jaywalking or disturbing the peace were Black residents. Whites were 68 more more likely to have their cases dismissed for the same type of violations.
-88 percent of the time when police use force during arrest the suspects were Black
-14 instances of police dog bites were all on Black suspects.
The racial prejudice of the city administration was further exposed when official city emails were examined. Racist jokes against President Obama and Blacks were frequently discovered, including emails from city officials that read:
“Barack Obama would not be president long because “what black man holds a steady job for four years?”
A cartoon depicting African Americans as monkeys.
That black women having abortions is a way to curb crime.
Considering Ferguson has a population of around 19,000 almost 16,000 of its residents have criminal arrest records. These arrests result in fines and probation fees that fuel the racist and oppressive system that is Ferguson, Missouri.
