By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America – The United States Department of Justice concluded that the Ferguson Missouri Police Department, which came under global scrutiny after the killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, routinely engages in racially biased practices, an official familiar with the findings said Tuesday. The investigation began in August after the shooting of Brown, an African American teenager by a white Ferguson Police Officer, which sparked protests nation-wide and brought Ferguson to a standstill. The investigation was ordered by Attorney General Eric Holder. The report found 85% of people subject to vehicle stops by Ferguson police were African-American; 90% of those who received citations were African American; and 93% of people arrested were African American. 67% of the Ferguson population is African America.

A protester stands in front of Police cars in Ferguson Missouri on November 25, 2015. (Photo courtesy of Reuters)

In 88% of the cases in which police the Ferguson police reported using force, it was against African-Americans. During the period 2012-2014 African American drivers were twice as likely as white drivers to be searched during traffic stops. However, African Americans were 26% less likely to be found in possession of illegal contraband. African Americans were also disproportionately more likely to be given a ticket by Ferguson police officers for minor infractions: 95% of tickets for “manner of walking in roadway,” a violation that is essentially jaywalking, were given to African Americans. Also, 94% of all “failure to comply” charges were filed against African Americans.

The apparent racial biases were not limited to the police force. Local judges in Ferguson were also found to have issued racially disparate rulings. African Americans 68% less likely to have their cases dismissed by a Ferguson municipal judge than white defendants, and were overwhelmingly more likely to be taken into custody during routine traffic stops solely for an outstanding warrant issued by the Ferguson courts.

The Justice Department also found disturbing evidence of blatant racism in internal documents of the Ferguson Police Department that subject that many of the apparent racial disparities in justice and law enforcement are more than a mere coincidence. The investigation found evidence of racist jokes being forwarded around the dependent and between court officials. One email included a joke about that then newly elected President Barack Obama in 2008. The joke claimed that the President would not hold office for long because “what black man holds a steady job for four years.”

Another particularly disturbing joke that made the rounds on Ferguson government emails in May 2011 said: “An African American woman in New Orleans was admitted into the hospital for a pregnancy termination. Two weeks later she received a check for $3000. She phoned the hospital to ask who it was from. The hospital said: ‘Crimestoppers.'”

Civil rights attorney Jerryl Christmas, who has represented people who have clashed with Ferguson police and city officials during the months since the August killing of Mike Brown said he was not surprised by the revelations, and he hopes that the Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson will be fired. “We already knew all this was going on. The problem is nobody is being prosecuted, nobody has been terminated,” Christmas said.

Ferguson Committeewoman Patricia Bynes said she was outraged by the racist emails. She said, “The fact that police officers and municipal court officials are using their public emails to tell racial jokes that just reeks of arrogance and ignorance” said Bynes. “It’s astounding. They think they are untouchable. The taxpayers have been paying for that racial bias.”

For more information please see:

CNN International – Justice Report Finds Systematic Discrimination against African-Americans in Ferguson – 4 March 2015

National Public Radio – DOJ: Ferguson Police Routinely Discriminate Against African Americans – 4 March 2015

Washington Post – Federal Probe Uncovers a Racist Joke about Obama in Official Ferguson Email – 4 March 2015

Reuters – Justice Department Finds Racial Bias in Ferguson Police Practices – 3 March 2015

Author: Impunity Watch Archive