Ferguson’s law enforcement practices are shaped by the City’s focus on revenue rather than by public safety needs. This emphasis on revenue has compromised the institutional character of Ferguson’s police department, contributing to a pattern of unconstitutional policing, and has also shaped its municipal court, leading to procedures that raise due process concerns and inflict unnecessary harm on members of the Ferguson community.

Police practices

The City’s emphasis on revenue generation has a profound effect on FPD’s approach to law enforcement. Patrol assignments and schedules are geared toward aggressive enforcement of Ferguson’s municipal code, with insufficient thought given to whether enforcement strategies promote public safety or unnecessarily undermine community trust and cooperation. Officer evaluations and promotions depend to an inordinate degree on “productivity,” meaning the number of citations issued. Partly as a consequence of City and FPD priorities, many officers appear to see some residents, especially those who live in Ferguson’s predominantly African American neighborhoods, less as constituents to be protected than as potential offenders and sources of revenue....

1. Summarize the evidence the DOJ report presents to support its claim that the major purpose of enforcing the minor public order offenses is to pay for the personnel and operation of city government.

2. Do you believe the DOJ made its case? Defend your answer.

3. Do you believe the evidence supports the claims that the enforcement proved disparity against Black residents of Ferguson? Support your answer.

4. Do you believe the evidence also proves that the evidence proves discrimination against Black residents?

Back up your answer with details from the report.

5. Do you agree with Leon Wolf’s Diary, “Many Conservatives are blowing it on the Ferguson DOJ Report”? Explain your answer.