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WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has nearly completed a highly critical report accusing the police in Ferguson, Mo., of making discriminatory traffic stops of African-Americans that created years of racial animosity leading up to an officer’s shooting of a black teenager last summer, law enforcement officials said.

According to several officials who have been briefed on the report’s conclusions, the report criticizes the city for disproportionately ticketing and arresting African-Americans and relying on the fines to balance the city’s budget. The report, which is expected to be released as early as this week, will force Ferguson officials to either negotiate a settlement with the Justice Department or face being sued by it on civil rights charges. Either way, the result is likely to be significant changes inside the Ferguson Police Department, which is at the center of a national debate over race and policing.

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ORIGINAL: kdsub

ps... The government IS THE PEOPLE... how can they be in office and be hostile to the voting public???????????

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ORIGINAL: kdsub

No it does not..necessarily... For instance using round figures the DOJ says that because 65 percent of the city is African American and 80 percent of pull overs are of African Americans this MUST be because of racial profiling. But... what if African Americans are not as law abiding as other races in the city? Is this impossible...What if African Americans are more disrespectful and confrontational? What if the majority of the crime reported, by not only white but African Americans as well, are perpetrated by blacks... who would you be more suspicious of as a police officer... who SHOULD you be more suspicious of... I'll tell you... the people committing the majority of crime. Throughout the US, not just Ferguson, this is what is and has been happening for a long time. A relatively small percentage of the population is committing the majority of crime so sensible police reaction would be to concentrate on that part of the population.

That said....If I am a law abiding African American and I am pulled over by police...questioned and searched because of a recent crime in the area committed by a black I would damn well be mad and it is dead wrong.

I think this study does point to the need for change...I just hope they have some answers or suggestions to go along with their condemnation. AND that they realize this is just not Ferguson...or St. Louis ...or LA... or New York...but most every place in the US with a significant African American population. There needs to be social changes to go along with Police training and equipment if there is any chance for this study to mean shit.

I'll tell you what does not work... ignoring who is committing the crime... St. Louis has done just that and had a massive surge in crime because of it... do we want this?... Not in my town... so come on DOJ... lets have something besides dumb ass condemnation without guidance.

Butch

ps... The government IS THE PEOPLE... how can they be in office and be hostile to the voting public???????????

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butch, are you saying that these remarks are "okay"?

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And to answer your last question, this wouldn't be the first time there has been hostility between the people and their government. How they get elected in the first place is a good question, and it's an equally good question to ask why politicians and public servants are so hostile and disrespectful to their employers.

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ORIGINAL: kdsub

In an article in the St. Louis Post today my home town was listed as third in pullovers for traffic offenses in the immediate area. They also have a higher than population proportion of pullovers of blacks... this includes searches and arrests. But if you, as I, talk with the city police they will tell you that more blacks break traffic laws in our town... Most of the time they cannot even tell the color of a persons skin when they are reading a radar gun or seeing a vehicle without plates or running stop signs and etc... they only know the skin color when they pull them over not before.

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I think it depends on if the pullovers are legit or not.. you know, making something up such as the cop pulls you over saying you were "weaving" when you know you weren't

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Well it seems that is exactly what some were doing in Ferguson. They are reporting in our local paper that three people sent the racists emails... One was immediately fired and the other two are under investigation. So a good start.

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Now black citizens of Ferguson... get control of your children that are killing each other at a frightful pace... from now on you will have no one to blame but yourselves

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ORIGINAL: vincentML

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Well it seems that is exactly what some were doing in Ferguson. They are reporting in our local paper that three people sent the racists emails... One was immediately fired and the other two are under investigation. So a good start.

Butch, your comments completely ignore the main trust of the Federal Report. The Ferguson PD deliberately and egregiously targeted the black community as a source of revenue, rewarding cops for being productive. The fish stinks from the head down meaning not just the police chief but the Council as well.

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Now black citizens of Ferguson... get control of your children that are killing each other at a frightful pace... from now on you will have no one to blame but yourselves

Blaming the victims for the racial assault from those who are sworn to 'serve and protect' is reprehensible. I regret having to make so strong an observation but really, let's not turn the malfeasance of the Force back to the victims. Authority and power lie with those vested to protect but instead deliberately were encouraged to abuse. What would you expect the parents to do in the face of a police power run amok and what would you expect from children who grow up in an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust of civil authority. Ferguson is all that is racially ugly about America. It is a Jim Crow city in the 21st Century.