During the first presidential debate late last month, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton was asked whether she felt implicit bias was present among police. Her response: “I think implicit bias is a problem for everyone, not just police.” Clinton said if elected president she intends to implement implicit bias training for…
Tag: Michael Brown
Two Years After Ferguson: Has Reform Happened
This week marks the two-year anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by former police officer Darren Wilson, whoresigned from his position but was not charged. Twenty-four months, periods of unrest and a Justice Department investigation later, the city remains in the early stages of transition. A complete overhaul,…
Editorial: FBI Director Blows It in Race Speech
Originally published Feb. 17, 2015 In an unprecedented move, FBI Director James Comey addressed a crowd at Georgetown University on the racial tensions and culture of racial profiling amongst the law-enforcement community. But that’s where Comey made his mistake: He never acknowledged racial profiling as a cultural issue. Instead of…
Mothers of Black Victims of Violence Lead Movement for Change
When Trayvon Martin was killed four years ago, his mother became part of a cause she had no intention of joining: a movement to bring attention to the senseless deaths of Black Americans in suspiciously racial circumstances. “I am an unwilling participant in this movement,” said Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton….
New Black Ferguson Police Chief Vows to Clean House of Bad Cops
Ferguson swore in its new police chief, Delrish Moss, this week. Moss will be tasked with the job of repairing a community that has had its trust in the police force broken since the killing of Michael Brown at the hands of police in August 2014. But Moss says he…
Cop Fired for Rejoicing Over Suicide of Black Lives Matter Activist
By Sheryl Estrada MarShawn McCarrel II For Fairborn, Ohio, Police Officer Lee Cyr, happiness is when a young Black Lives Matter activist with a promising future decides to kill himself on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. MarShawn McCarrel II committedsuicide in that mannerminutes before 6 p.m. onFeb….
Feds Sue City of Ferguson for Civil Rights Violations
The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the City of Ferguson, Missouri, to force the city to reform its police department and court system after the government found both had violated citizens’ civil rights and were especially biased against minorities. In announcing the lawsuit late Wednesday,…
Ferguson Police Chief Resigns
Ferguson’s interim police chief Andre Anderson has announced his resignation, effective Dec. 2, about two months before he was scheduled to leave. Anderson, who served as Ferguson’s first Black chief of police, signed a six-month contract with the Ferguson Police Department at the end of July. At the time he…
The End of Racist Policing Leads to Revenue Shortfalls and the End of St. Louis County Police Jobs
A loss in government funds coming from traffic tickets and fines has had an interesting effect on towns in St. Louis County: a shutdown of police departments. Charlack, Missouri, a small town of about 1,300 people, has had to dissolve its police department because it can no longer afford to…
Report: County Police Had Poor Response to Ferguson Protests
According to a new report, the St. Louis County Police Department wasn’t prepared for the mass demonstrations that followed the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson in August 2014, as it underperformed in community policing as well as other areas. On Friday, the Depart of Justice’s Office of…