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Friday, March 6th, 2015

Ferguson shows how a police force can turn into a plundering ‘collection agency’

Author:     Terrence McCoy
Source:     The Washington Post
Publication Date:     March 5 at 4:45 AM
Link: Ferguson shows how a police force can turn into a plundering ‘collection agency’
Stephan:   Coming on top of the stories now coming out about the Chicago Police Department, and other departments around the country it is clear that law enforcement in the U.S. in all too many departments has gone seriously off the rails. Ferguson police seem to be nothing more than a protection racket of White bullies whose purpose is to misuse the law to produce revenue from the African American community. And that doesn't even address the racism, which is clearly out of control. The entire department as well as the judges and prosecutors, who also seem to be completely corrupted should be removed from office and replaced by people who actually take seriously their job to  "serve and protect" the community. It will be interesting to see what actually happens.
The Ferguson Police Department charged by the Attorney General with being little more than a protection racket. Credit: NBC News

The Ferguson Police Department charged by the Attorney General with being little more than a protection racket.
Credit: NBC News

Of all the harrowing stories buried inside the Justice Department’s report on the Ferguson Police Department, one of the most illustrative begins with an illegally parked car. The year was 2007. And a Ferguson officer who noticed the illegally parked vehicle issued its driver, an African American woman, two citations and a ticket for $151.

To the driver, who had bounced in and out of homelessness, the fine was draconian. She couldn’t pay it in full. So over the next seven years, the woman missed several deadlines and court dates. That tacked on more fees, more payment deadlines, more charges. She ultimately spent six days in jail. All because she didn’t park her car correctly. As of December 2014, the woman had paid the city of Ferguson $550 resulting from a $151 ticket. And she still owes $541.

The Ferguson police and courts system has come under […]

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