Ferguson Police Theory

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The Ferguson Police Department and government officials in Ferguson County engaged in a revenue-focused operational strategy and legalistic policing style that created deep rooted community distrust. This was caused by an antagonistic social atmosphere that included racial profiling, and unfairly targeting citizens in poverty stricken areas with burdensome fines created by predatory citation practices. An unbalanced social dynamic was fostered that could be described in terms of conflict, strain and subculture sociological theories. As a result, Ferguson County had to re-evaluate existing operational and policing styles in the wake of the Michael Brown scandal. Large scale media coverage shed an unfavorable light on the department, and ultimately …show more content…
The strain and stigma associated with racial profiling can lead to a greater incidence of crime. People are denied opportunities because of the fear the profiles instill in society, again contributing to the circle of deviance.
Data collected by the Ferguson Police Department from 2012 to 2014 suggests that African Americans account for 85% of vehicle stops, 90% of citations, and 93% of arrests made by Ferguson Police Department officers, despite comprising only 67% of Ferguson’s population. Nearly 90% of documented force used by FPD officers was used against African Americans. Clearly there is a considerable imbalance of police enforcement concerning African Americans, likely due to racial profiling. (Berman, 2015)
In order to affect change and community healing, the Ferguson Police Department must transition to a community oriented policing style. Officers must initiate constructive dialogue with the community, community leaders and institutions of social control. Foster relationships within the community before crisis occur, and then disseminate information in a timely and transparent manner during a crisis. Citizens must be fully aware of the laws governing citations, and the time-limits in place that govern when additional fines will be implemented. In this way the community will feel involved, informed and protected during times of
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