The scathing report found an endemic racial bias in the Ferguson Police Department, as well as a focus on generating revenue, rather than public safety.
The Department of Justice on Wednesday released its long-awaited report on the Ferguson Police Department, a blistering review that found entrenched racial biases within a force more concerned with generating revenue rather than maintaining public order.
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"Ferguson's harmful court and police practices are due, at least in part, to intentional discrimination, as demonstrated by direct evidence of racial bias and stereotyping about African Americans by certain Ferguson police and municipal court officials," the DOJ said.
"As detailed in our report, this investigation found a community that was deeply polarized, and where deep distrust and hostility often characterized interactions between police and area residents," said Attorney General Eric Holder.
Here are the most shocking excerpts from the 102-page report:
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In March 2010, for instance, the City Finance Director wrote to Chief Jackson that "unless ticket writing ramps up significantly before the end of the year, it will be hard to significantly raise collections next year. . . . Given that we are looking at a substantial sales tax shortfall, it's not an insignificant issue."
Similarly, in March 2013, the Finance Director wrote to the City Manager: "Court fees are anticipated to rise about 7.5%. I did ask the Chief if he thought the PD could deliver 10% increase. He indicated they could try."
As such, the DOJ found "insufficient thought" was given to whether such revenue-focused policing actually "promote[s] public safety or unnecessarily undermine[s] community trust and cooperation."
Investigators also found that police officers viewed African-Americans as "sources of revenue":
Partly as a consequence of City and FPD priorities, many officers appear to see some residents, especially those who live in Ferguson's predominantly African- American neighborhoods, less as constituents to be protected than as potential offenders and sources of revenue.
The DOJ added that "city, police, and court officials for years have worked in concert to maximize revenue at every stage of the enforcement process."
SOURCE: BuzzFeed
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