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But let's also get back to the reality of Ferguson. This is a town of 21,000 residents (i.e. small population) that is not wealthy by any stretch. Does the local PD even have the financial resources to recruit heavily and implement programs that would attract new police officers from outside their immediate region? I know our police force in my town does and it shows but we're also an extremely affluent town with the budget to match. I can't imagine Ferguson has a healthy budget for such endeavors.
I don't really buy they don't have local applicants. I'm quite sure in the past 10-20 years since the town became majority black they could have dragged themselves over to the local high school or junior high school, enticed some applicants and set up some kind of mentoring program.
Certainly they cant afford what they are spending this week on riot control which might have been avoided if they were more diverse.
I won't attempt to talk to logic with you for an extended period of time, but the fact is, many of the "Black" locals can't pass a background check to get on the police force in Ferguson, Missouri. Officer Wilson was doing his job to get someone obstructing traffic out of the street (so he didn't risk getting run over) and was confronted by a violent human being with a massive attitude. He suffered great facial injuries before shooting and killing Michael Brown. Do me a favor and stop acting like Michael Brown was a good guy who was unjustly killed because he wasn't.
Find one post where I've said Michael Brown was a good guy who was unjustly killed.
Hospital X-rays of the injury have been submitted to the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney and will be shared with a grand jury now weighing evidence to determine whether Officer Darren Wilson should be charged in the shooting.
That claim appears to have been undermined. For one, the Post is now reporting that prosecutors have not seen any of Wilson's medical records:
[Spokesperson Ed] Magee said that prosecutors have not received any medical records relating to Wilson so far. But he said that since Wilson was taken to the hospital, they assume there are medical records and they just haven’t received them yet.
And CNN producer Julian Cummings, who last week correctly reported that the release of Wilson's name was imminent, reports that the claim Wilson had a broken eye bone is flat-out incorrect:
Yes it is what CNN is reporting. No eye injury. Some facial bruises but no eye injury.
Actually, to be accurate, they were reporting no fracture but a facial injury (e.g. bruised, swelling). Although their information, like that of ABC and FOX, comes from an unnamed source too. Guess time will tell which one is right.
But let's also get back to the reality of Ferguson. This is a town of 21,000 residents (i.e. small population) that is not wealthy by any stretch. Does the local PD even have the financial resources to recruit heavily and implement programs that would attract new police officers from outside their immediate region? I know our police force in my town does and it shows but we're also an extremely affluent town with the budget to match. I can't imagine Ferguson has a healthy budget for such endeavors.
Ferguson is a St Louis suburb between downtown and the airport. For some reason St Louis County is a patchwork of odd shaped jigsaw puzzle little municipalities each with it's own police, fire, city services & education board. I don't know why they don't amalgamate services, it would address the issues you bring up.
People are distracting from the key witnesses and distracting from the evidence as if nobody saw the ordeal go down.
If your going to say Brown assaulted the officer show evidence. Otherwise drop it. The "robbery" is irrelevant as well.
Did the officer use excessive force? Did he execute Brown?
No and No. No factual evidence is in as of yet, especially on Wilson's side of what happened.
Is there a strong arm robbery suspect dead? Yes.
Beyond that it's all speculation and hearsay.
Lets get real. If this police chief had really wanted to hire more black officers he could have.
Maybe he would have to convince candidates in another city that they should move to his city rather than apply in their own city. Maybe he would have had to pay moving expenses.
With the unemployment rate what it is I'm sure there are qualified candidates out there as well as in each new graduating class.
Anyone in business or government knows how you increase your applicant pool......IF YOU WANT TO.
Um, you realize Ferguson starting pay is $24k/year and top pay for officers is $33k/year, right?
Of the 60 other police departments in just St Louis County (much less the surrounding area), Ferguson is one of the lowest paying departments. St Louis County Police pays $44k to $68k for police officers (although they also require a 4-year degree now, which Ferguson probably doesn't), and has several dozen openings right now with a preference for AA officers. It is pretty much impossible for Ferguson to compete with a pay rate that high.
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