To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
This remains a five-alarm fire. We have just days left in our Fall Campaign and the numbers we’re seeing are not good. This is terrifying for us, especially when everything we cherish is on the ballot just one week from now.
Protesters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin rally in solidarity with the community of Ferguson, Missouri after news that officer Darren Wilson would not be charged for the killing of Michael Brown. (Photo: Light Brigading/cc/flickr)
The U.S. Justice Department has reportedly concluded that the Ferguson Police Department has for years practiced discriminatory policing tactics, creating a culture of "racial animosity" in the lead up to the shooting death of black teenager Michael Brown last summer.
The findings, which are expected to be released as early as this week, are the conclusion of a months-long federal investigation into the department. Speaking under anonymity, law enforcement officials briefed on the report told the New York Times that the "highly critical" assessment charges the local police department with "disproportionately ticketing and arresting African-Americans and relying on the fines to balance the city's budget."
According to the most recent data (pdf) published by the Missouri attorney general, in 2013, Blacks accounted for 86 percent of traffic stops in Ferguson but compromise 63 percent of the population. Further, black drivers were twice as likely to be searched by the police department, which is 95 percent white.
Last month, reports indicated that the DOJ will not bring charges of civil rights violations against Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Despite that, the federal probe is intended to examine the "broader practices" of the department in order to "give context for the shooting."
Citizens of Ferguson and Jennings, Missouri have recently launched suits charging the cities with extortionary policing practices, arguing that by jailing residents who are unable to pay traffic tickets and other fines the local jails are being used as "debtors' prisons."
According to the unnamed officials, the DOJ says such practices have provided a "financial incentive to continue law enforcement policies that unfairly target African-Americans."
The Times says that the damning report will likely force the city to "either negotiate a settlement with the Justice Department or face being sued by it on civil rights charges."
The future of all that we cherish is on the line and we have to fight like hell to protect democracy, human decency, and a liveable planet. The last line of defense is people who understand what’s at stake—activists, writers, thinkers, doers, and everyday people who see what is happening, know in their hearts that a better world is possible, and are willing to fight for it. You are one of the good people Common Dreams was built for. We provide independent news, progressive opinion, and crucial analysis on the day’s most important issues. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. But to keep publishing and remain strong in these dangerous times, we need your support. So we’re asking you today: Will you donate to our Fall Campaign and keep the progressive, nonprofit journalism of Common Dreams alive? |
The U.S. Justice Department has reportedly concluded that the Ferguson Police Department has for years practiced discriminatory policing tactics, creating a culture of "racial animosity" in the lead up to the shooting death of black teenager Michael Brown last summer.
The findings, which are expected to be released as early as this week, are the conclusion of a months-long federal investigation into the department. Speaking under anonymity, law enforcement officials briefed on the report told the New York Times that the "highly critical" assessment charges the local police department with "disproportionately ticketing and arresting African-Americans and relying on the fines to balance the city's budget."
According to the most recent data (pdf) published by the Missouri attorney general, in 2013, Blacks accounted for 86 percent of traffic stops in Ferguson but compromise 63 percent of the population. Further, black drivers were twice as likely to be searched by the police department, which is 95 percent white.
Last month, reports indicated that the DOJ will not bring charges of civil rights violations against Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Despite that, the federal probe is intended to examine the "broader practices" of the department in order to "give context for the shooting."
Citizens of Ferguson and Jennings, Missouri have recently launched suits charging the cities with extortionary policing practices, arguing that by jailing residents who are unable to pay traffic tickets and other fines the local jails are being used as "debtors' prisons."
According to the unnamed officials, the DOJ says such practices have provided a "financial incentive to continue law enforcement policies that unfairly target African-Americans."
The Times says that the damning report will likely force the city to "either negotiate a settlement with the Justice Department or face being sued by it on civil rights charges."
The U.S. Justice Department has reportedly concluded that the Ferguson Police Department has for years practiced discriminatory policing tactics, creating a culture of "racial animosity" in the lead up to the shooting death of black teenager Michael Brown last summer.
The findings, which are expected to be released as early as this week, are the conclusion of a months-long federal investigation into the department. Speaking under anonymity, law enforcement officials briefed on the report told the New York Times that the "highly critical" assessment charges the local police department with "disproportionately ticketing and arresting African-Americans and relying on the fines to balance the city's budget."
According to the most recent data (pdf) published by the Missouri attorney general, in 2013, Blacks accounted for 86 percent of traffic stops in Ferguson but compromise 63 percent of the population. Further, black drivers were twice as likely to be searched by the police department, which is 95 percent white.
Last month, reports indicated that the DOJ will not bring charges of civil rights violations against Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Despite that, the federal probe is intended to examine the "broader practices" of the department in order to "give context for the shooting."
Citizens of Ferguson and Jennings, Missouri have recently launched suits charging the cities with extortionary policing practices, arguing that by jailing residents who are unable to pay traffic tickets and other fines the local jails are being used as "debtors' prisons."
According to the unnamed officials, the DOJ says such practices have provided a "financial incentive to continue law enforcement policies that unfairly target African-Americans."
The Times says that the damning report will likely force the city to "either negotiate a settlement with the Justice Department or face being sued by it on civil rights charges."