Ferguson Police Department May Fold Due To DOJ Probe

[marmar]

FERGUSON, Mo. -- U.S. Justice Department investigations of police departments in the past have led to reforms or lengthy litigation. But the DOJ probe of the Ferguson, Missouri, police department, to be announced on Wednesday, may lead to a possible outcome that would set the St. Louis suburb apart: eliminating the police department.

The investigation, begun after a Ferguson officer shot to death unarmed teenager Michael Brown in August, alleges that town authorities routinely violated the constitutional rights of residents with unreasonable searches and force, and that the city budget was largely funded by tickets and fines.

Once Ferguson tallies the costs of either fighting the DOJ allegations or adopting reforms the department will require, it may decide the best choice would be to get rid of the police department and hire another agency to police the town. ...............(more)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/03/doj-ferguson-police-cost_n_6793310.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000013

[NYC_SKP]

1. Good, they should have to dissolve.

Let St. Louis or the state troopers take it over for now, or sheriffs.

Unincorporate that POS city government and rebuild without the overhead and debt and stupidity and bigots.

Start from scratch, but also go after the fuckers as citizens lest they go elsewhere and repeat their crimes.

[In_The_Wind]

2. +1

[marmar]

3. Yep.

[pintobean]

5. It would be St. Louis County police or Florissant Police.

Florissant is a larger, neighboring city and the schools are already merged.

The City of St. Louis recently requested the help of 10 State Troopers and the Highway Patrol denied it, saying they didn't have the man power. So I doubt they can handle Ferguson.

[Sheepshank]

8. If that city can only meet budget on the back of the poor paying fines...they need to unincorporate

clearly this government entity isn't there to serve is constituency. There is no other purpose for government.

[pintobean]

9. The mayor said traffic fines are 15% of the city's revenue

and that state law says it can't be over 30%.

[Sherman A1]

4. It is possible that they may dissolve the Police Department

Several communities in St. Louis County contract their policing out to either the County or to neighboring communities. I believe that nearby the nearby City of Jennings dissolved it's police department and is contracting to St. Louis County. Years ago when I lived in a smaller community in the County we contracted with one or the other neighboring departments.

It is also possible that they may adjust their policies and practices to reflect what the DOJ would like to see accomplished and carry on from there. Time will tell.

[Romeo.lima333]

6. title should be "darren wilson destroys ANOTHER police force with his racism"

[CatWoman]

14. GOOD ONE

[Romeo.lima333]

20. thankyou catwoman

[Fumesucker]

27. <snort>

[uponit7771]

30. +1

[MurrayDelph]

7. Dissolving the police department is not enough

The cops currently in Ferguson need to have a lifetime ban.

[mopinko]

11. that was my first thought, too.

how many would get rehired by the new agency, and how many would be disbursed to equally racist, equally out of control forces near by.

[packman]

16. Ditto

dissolving the police force and scattering that trash is like spreading a disease. They all should have jackets stating that they could not be hired in any law enforcement agency, or for that matter, carry a gun. Not to be Biblical about it, but have some sort of mark of Cain to be carried around for the rest of their lives in regard to their past in Furgenson.

[Sheepshank]

12. While I do believe the cops there suck....

typically they had been working in an environment that permitted and possibly encouraged that type of activity. The admin needs to lose their jobs. Admin= Police Chief, Mayor, etc

As a glass half full type of person, and also working in conjuction with our local PD, I see a lt of bad cops. I also see a larger percentage of good cops, decent human beings that just want to do the right thing. I don't know that I'm on board with a lifetime ban...a livelyhood, for the "some" that may never have played by the current admins rules.

[cstanleytech]

19. Would that even be legal though if they havent been convicted for anything in a court?

[Orsino]

33. I hear Blackwater is looking for work. n/t

[oldandhappy]

10. Ferguson PD sounds as if it is too far awful to be worth saving.

And I hope other racist PD folk around the country take a good look at this. I suppose Ferguson PD is not the only place where this happens. I am not surprised at what I am hearing this morning, but I sure am stunned. How can people do this, ugh.

[1StrongBlackMan]

13. I'll wait to review the report; but ...

the FPD was only a small part of the problem in Ferguson ... the court system is also flawed, as was detailed in the reporting that noted its practice of, for example, fee compounding. The FPD were merely the soldiers carrying out the marching orders of the Court system and Prosecutor's office.

[JimDandy]

15. I wonder if a dissolution of the town's incorporation,

not just its police department, could provide the opportunity to absolve its former citizens of any municipal tickets, fines, fees, warrants etc so everyone starts out fresh?

[1StrongBlackMan]

17. That could be a settlement term ...

the municipality agrees to dissolve and void all municipal issued tickets, fines, fees, and warrants for failing to appear on tickets, fines, fees, in exchange for the DoJ not pursuing litigation against the municipality.

But the town dissolving with out such an agreement wouldn't absolve its former citizens, just as a company going out of business doesn't absolve a consumer of any pre-going out of business debt.

[TheKentuckian]

45. Sounds like a plan

[uponit7771]

31. AMEN... I noticed that on NPR during the report that the JUDGES were even bigger problem

... because they knew what was going on and it wasn't right.

[strawberries]

18. What happens if someone dials 911

for help? Does anyone show up if there is no PD? Do they just merge in with another county?

I don't see how this is good

[jtuck004]

21. "I don't see how this is good" < Murdering the kid wasn't too good either.

The state.or a nearby PD can provide security while they are building something else.

Wouldn't be a problem if they hadn't built a police department that polices the black citizens differently.

[strawberries]

23. I guess if someone is in need

of help, it's ok to let them die or be killed because a kid was murdered. Makes perfect sense to me

[jtuck004]

25. Well, for the white racists, that does seem to be the big issue. They can fuck off.

Always an excuse to keep treating black folks like trash, eh?

[strawberries]

26. I don't understand your comment

or anger, but I feel bad for the people of Ferguson who will now be policing themselves. The old and sick will be at a disadvantage. I guess the white racists won here

[pintobean]

28. Ferguson still has their PD.

The people will continue to have police protection. The city can fight this in court, comply with all the DOJ recommendations, or disband their PD after contracting with another PD. This has all been done before.

[uponit7771]

36. What makes you think Ferguson is crime ridding place?!?! Why would the old and sick be...

... at a disadvantage?!

Even after this report comes out saying the FPD wasn't a force for good among the people how in the world are the people the thing the old and sick have to watch out for?


If anything, the old and sick have LESS prey upon them.... I'm sure, from my own experiences with these type of LED, they old and sick weren't spared prey (not pray)

[strawberries]

37. The old and sick are always at a disadvantage

but if you know a place where there is no crime, please share

[jtuck004]

39. Go back and ask your original question - as if you were black. Then you might understand.

And mine is not anger. It's disgust.

[uponit7771]

29. Same that happens now; not a damn thAng.... Please understand, the LEOs in that area are NOT

... there to serve anyone but their own best interest.

They see the American Citizens there as animals

[Comrade Grumpy]

40. Some other department would provide law enforcement services.

Maybe the county PD.

Maybe a neighboring city.

Don't worry; they'll be covered.

[1StrongBlackMan]

46. Generally, the municipality enters into a service agreement with the county ...

but if the municipality dissolves, the County services the unincorporated area.

[niyad]

22. and yet, darren wilson will face no federal charges.

[KamaAina]

24. They'll probably leave the empty police headquarters lying in the street for hours

[uponit7771]

32. +1

[sabrina 1]

34. If it happens, that would be the second Dept that had WILSON on the force, to close.

I wonder where he'll go next?

[Matariki]

35. Maybe we should change laws to disallow fines being included in budgets at all.

Because that leads to the obvious pressure of quotas, which leads to all sorts of ugliness.

[alcibiades_mystery]

38. Make no mistake: what happens in Ferguson is an element of supply-side economics

As the tax base shrinks due to tax cuts, municipalities seek revenue elsewhere.

It also shows the connection between neoliberalism and racism: if you're looking for populations to plunder, you head for the historically oppressed minorities.

Horrendous.

[Sherman A1]

43. Precisely

It is about a lot of things, but you have hit upon a major source of the problems. White flight to St. Charles County to the West is another, The destruction of the City of Kinloch when the Airport was expanded (and then American Airlines pulled out the hub formerly operated by TWA) was another, the number of tiny cities within St. Louis County each with their own governments and police departments yet another.

[1StrongBlackMan]

47. +1 and +1. n/t

[Blue_Tires]

41. Long fucking overdue...

[davidn3600]

42. They've already folded once before...it doesnt make a difference

Whatever agency takes over will just re-hire the police.

[rdking647]

44. fire all the ferguson cops

revoke their certificates to be law enforcement officers
make the city turn over all revenue from court fines to the state

hell disband the municipal government totally