General Discussion

SomethingFishy

(4,876 posts) Mon Aug 18, 2014, 10:11 AM Aug 2014

164

Ferguson. In 2013 the town issued over 24,000 arrest warrants.. [View all]

In a town with 21,000 people... Yes you saw those numbers right.

“Despite Ferguson’s relative poverty, fines and court fees comprise the second largest source of revenue for the city, a total of 2,635,400,” according to the ArchCity Defenders report. And in 2013, the Ferguson Municipal Court issued 24,532 arrest warrants and 12,018 cases, “or about 3 warrants and 1.5 cases per household.”

The death of Michael Brown was just the straw. The residents of Ferguson have had enough, and the only people I can see blaming them are.. yes, privileged white people.

Sorry forgot the link...

http://www.newsweek.com/ferguson-profiling-police-courts-shooting-264744

113 replies

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Ferguson. In 2013 the town issued over 24,000 arrest warrants.. [View all] SomethingFishy Aug 2014 OP

What??? Where's my 'friggin calculator? PearliePoo2 Aug 2014 #1

3 warrants per household. SomethingFishy Aug 2014 #4

Holy Crap billhicks76 Aug 2014 #82

Seriously. I'm sure the TeaBaggers are cheering on the Ferguson Riot squad. Dark n Stormy Knight Aug 2014 #93

Definitely billhicks76 Aug 2014 #95

That's an average of over one arrest per day for each cop lapfog_1 Aug 2014 #7

It can be that high. Thav Aug 2014 #42

...and if that happened 8000 times... Iggo Aug 2014 #76

It's only conceivable if the court does illegal shit... jmowreader Aug 2014 #83

Yep PatSeg Aug 2014 #91

why does anyone stay there??!! oldandhappy Aug 2014 #2

." why does anyone stay there??!!" dixiegrrrrl Aug 2014 #61

Thank you. oldandhappy Aug 2014 #80

Holy crap. HooptieWagon Aug 2014 #3

So the Ferguson PD is a profit center. MohRokTah Aug 2014 #5

According to the article 2/3rds of the city revenue SomethingFishy Aug 2014 #6

IT's the DWB tax. MohRokTah Aug 2014 #8

Exactly, they even called it that in the article.. SomethingFishy Aug 2014 #10

More like a BWB (Breathing while Black) tax! nt tblue37 Aug 2014 #36

more like LWB tax. whopis01 Aug 2014 #59

From my read, it says that court fees are the second largest source of income. lumberjack_jeff Aug 2014 #101

This is very common these days... FarPoint Aug 2014 #11

I hear ya El Shaman Aug 2014 #29

I wonder if the RICCO law can be used here. pennylane100 Aug 2014 #35

Yes it would appear that the cops are shaking down the residents underpants Aug 2014 #96

Missouri's Macks Creek Law states: freebrew Aug 2014 #100

How much of their revenue comes from fines? lumberjack_jeff Aug 2014 #103

Someone stated 2/3 of their revenue from the court costs. freebrew Aug 2014 #104

The newsweek article says that fines are the second largest source of income. lumberjack_jeff Aug 2014 #105

Guess that's right... you win. freebrew Aug 2014 #106

+1 uponit7771 Aug 2014 #50

Yes and will be a profit center in every USA town soon. littlemissmartypants Aug 2014 #71

can't "afford" dash cam installation- but " fines and court fees comprise the second largest source bettyellen Aug 2014 #9

I'm usually not much given to CT matter, but your comment has really VanGoghRocks Aug 2014 #12

I read here they claimed they were not installed because it costs 3K per camera..... bettyellen Aug 2014 #16

Given the information in the OP Bettie Aug 2014 #19

and i will stand behind that figure 8 track mind Aug 2014 #37

Thanks for providing those details! I'm wondering if we should start a kickstarter to install those bettyellen Aug 2014 #60

I would install them for free 8 track mind Aug 2014 #88

Do you have credential to do it as a govt contract? I think you should write an open letter to the bettyellen Aug 2014 #89

Exactly, they give the tickets to poor people who can't afford to pay the ticket SomethingFishy Aug 2014 #14

Fabulous point, bettyellen Number23 Aug 2014 #64

That Newsweek article is quite the indictment of what is going on there- bettyellen Aug 2014 #66

Rachel Maddow called it last Wednesday... Stellar Aug 2014 #13

Looks like they need more than a special prosecutor for this case... BklnDem75 Aug 2014 #15

Very telling. n/t JimDandy Aug 2014 #17

Whoa. That is infuriating. No wonder people have had enough. KittyWampus Aug 2014 #18

Organized Crime. Does it fall under RICO? freshwest Aug 2014 #20

Good question.. The Justice Dept needs to look into this... SomethingFishy Aug 2014 #22

Yes... But the corruption of revenue by extorting citizenry is what I meant. freshwest Aug 2014 #47

Sorry, that is what I was talking about investigating... SomethingFishy Aug 2014 #67

We're on the same page. But eliminating the extortion would empower the people of Ferguson. freshwest Aug 2014 #70

unbelieveable! LittleGirl Aug 2014 #21

Exactly. Trapped. With no recourse. SomethingFishy Aug 2014 #23

Check out who owns the private prison system in malaise Aug 2014 #24

Who owns them? nt avebury Aug 2014 #26

I don't know but I'm betting malaise Aug 2014 #28

It might just be good old-fashioned grift. Wikipedia says they don't use privatized prisons arcane1 Aug 2014 #52

That's very good news malaise Aug 2014 #55

Small blessings, I guess. They're still making $$ by exploiting poor people. arcane1 Aug 2014 #56

ICC was purchased by the county and now holds the county jail. xmas74 Aug 2014 #85

Busy little beavers, aren't they? malthaussen Aug 2014 #25

Terrell Heights down in San Antone used to give their cops a toaster or a Mr. Coffee if they Rozlee Aug 2014 #30

Not if they do a hundred things a day. And I doubt if they think about it at all. They are freshwest Aug 2014 #58

if they are choosing to stop more African American, maybe because they know their will be less bettyellen Aug 2014 #68

Oh, they target black for all that stuff. I'm convinced of that 100%. I'm too old to miss that. freshwest Aug 2014 #69

Sounds like these poor people have *always* been under the boot heel. Lars39 Aug 2014 #27

J.J. push for voter registration safeinOhio Aug 2014 #31

Extracting money from the under class. JEB Aug 2014 #32

South African apartheid reigns in Ferguson, Mi. Rozlee Aug 2014 #33

Extraction from the poor by boot heel at gunpoint. Fuck tha Police! TheKentuckian Aug 2014 #34

Yessirree....I'll second that. n/t truth2power Aug 2014 #40

I second the second. SoapBox Aug 2014 #44

Eeyup. hifiguy Aug 2014 #45

I hope..... BobbyBoring Aug 2014 #38

"...source of revenue... there you have it. End of discussion. truth2power Aug 2014 #39

From the link... Ikonoklast Aug 2014 #41

Jeezus! cyberswede Aug 2014 #54

That's insane Jacoby365 Aug 2014 #57

????? hifiguy Aug 2014 #43

Felony disenfranchisement? Trillo Aug 2014 #46

AMEN AND AMEN!!! uponit7771 Aug 2014 #51

Yet ANOTHER fabulous point in this thread Number23 Aug 2014 #65

There is something very dark and ugly about Ferguson. sheshe2 Aug 2014 #48

The PD scurried away and hid their star cop. Rex Aug 2014 #75

The foul smell would be the festering boil, sheshe2 Aug 2014 #77

We as a nation need it and we will see the leadership get to the bottom of it. Rex Aug 2014 #78

+1 harun Aug 2014 #107

You give EVERYONE in town a criminal history or claim they associate with known criminals.... Spitfire of ATJ Aug 2014 #49

how many towns are like Ferguson? grasswire Aug 2014 #53

That is what concerns me most... SomethingFishy Aug 2014 #62

A few thousand, perhaps. nt HooptieWagon Aug 2014 #79

Looks predatory. moondust Aug 2014 #63

K&R. Important post. woo me with science Aug 2014 #72

Funny who you never Rex Aug 2014 #74

Ferguson needs to be liberated tea and oranges Aug 2014 #73

They need the Union Army, not the National Guard. n/t jtuck004 Aug 2014 #81

Astonishing. I live in the same type of town Horse with no Name Aug 2014 #84

This is it exactly (well, aside from the money). logosoco Aug 2014 #97

wow. just wow. nilram Aug 2014 #86

BUT WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE FACTS YET Capt. Obvious Aug 2014 #87

Now now Capt. the authorities are investigating themselves and they will tell us what they find underpants Aug 2014 #98

kick woo me with science Aug 2014 #90

, blkmusclmachine Aug 2014 #92

That is outrageous! Enthusiast Aug 2014 #94

Kick, kick, kick!!! Heidi Aug 2014 #99

The modern version of the speed trap. n/t GoCubsGo Aug 2014 #102

OMG! Marrah_G Aug 2014 #108

kick woo me with science Aug 2014 #109

Are there any other stats from other cities for comparison? hexola Aug 2014 #110

Yeah, data without a basis for comparison is.. data. n/t X_Digger Aug 2014 #111

Huge K&R woo me with science Aug 2014 #112

kick woo me with science Aug 2014 #113