As the country zeroes in on the civil unrest currently underway in Ferguson, Missouri following the death of an unarmed teen (the latest in a string of incidences involving excessive forced used against Black Americans,) new details have emerged which paint a picture of racial tensions that have been simmering within the St. Louis suburb for some time now.
In a report leaked to the press this week, records show that while Whites make up nearly a third of Ferguson’s population, they account for only 12.7% of stops made by the police department last year. In comparison, African-Americans made up 93% of arrests following car stops, despite the fact that Whites have been noted as more likely to actually contain contraband upon being searched. African-Americans were also more likely to be assigned tickets than their White counterparts within Ferguson, with Hispanics following behind in the number of citations and warrants issued.
This information has only added to the growing frustration amid concerns that the Ferguson Police Department has unjustly targeted minorities throughout the community, an underlying issue that may have played a contributing factor in the death of teen Michael Brown.
As previously reported by the Los Angeles Times, according to a statement made by Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson, “Ferguson’s police chief and mayor are white. Of the six City Council members, one is black. The local school board has six white members and one Latino. Of the 53 commissioned officers on the police force, three are black.”
As the country zeroes in on the civil unrest currently underway in Ferguson, Missouri following the death of an unarmed teen (the latest in a string of incidences involving excessive forced used against Black Americans,) new details have emerged which paint a picture of racial tensions that have been simmering within the St. Louis suburb for some time now.
In a report leaked to the press this week, records show that while Whites make up nearly a third of Ferguson’s population, they account for only 12.7% of stops made by the police department last year. In comparison, African-Americans made up 93% of arrests following car stops, despite the fact that Whites have been noted as more likely to actually contain contraband upon being searched. African-Americans were also more likely to be assigned tickets than their White counterparts within Ferguson, with Hispanics following behind in the number of citations and warrants issued.
This information has only added to the growing frustration amid concerns that the Ferguson Police Department has unjustly targeted minorities throughout the community, an underlying issue that may have played a contributing factor in the death of teen Michael Brown.
According to a statement made by Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson, “Ferguson’s police chief and mayor are white. Of the six City Council members, one is black. The local school board has six white members and one Latino. Of the 53 commissioned officers on the police force, three are black.”
Photo Credit: CNN
