How Would You Change the Current Police Perception?

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The Ferguson police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown will not face criminal charges.  The Justice Department formally closed its investigation of Officer Darren Wilson.  In a report released Wednesday, prosecutors said Wilson’s actions did not constitute a violation of federal civil rights law.  The Justice Department also issued a 100 page report that includes findings of “systematic racial discrimination” by the Ferguson Police Department.

“The Ferguson Police Department engaged in a pattern of discrimination against African Americans.”  That’s the conclusion of a Department of Justice civil rights investigation that looked into the police force.

Accusations against the Ferguson PD went national last summer, with some people in the St. Louis suburb accusing their police force of unfairly targeting African Americans.  Wednesday, the federal government says many of those allegations are true.

The scathing Justice Department report concludes Ferguson PD engaged in a “pattern and practice” of discrimination against African Americans. Findings of the civil rights investigation reveal racist jokes shared among Ferguson officers and court officials.  And statistics show a disproportionate arrest rate among black citizens between 2012 and 2014 as well as an excessive number of traffic stops, despite Ferguson’s 67 percent African American population.

But if you were in charge of your local police department, how would you change the current perception?  Rance asked the people of Charlotte for their take…