Ferguson police force continues to be under immense scrutiny and pressure in the wake of a Justice Department report affirming widespread racial bias in the region. The men and women in uniform have turned to be the target of angry crowd’s, further raising doubts about an amicable long lasting solution between the force and the public, especially in minority strongholds.
The tension in the city has seen six city employees notably the police chief and city manager being fired or stepping down, but the mayor continues to remain put reiterating he is not thinking of an early retirement. The police force in the area is now feeling more embattled and anxious as more blame continue to be leveled against it, with each action always under constant scrutiny.
African Americans in the area have already aired their distrust in the force with most of them calling for police reforms in minority neighborhoods. Police officers now operate knowing well that they could be targets out of nowhere, for just wearing the uniform especially in times of protests. Awareness and caution are now the order of the day and police officers best friend.
A recent shooting of two police officers at a mass protest has underscored the massive stakes at hand in the push to maintain law and order. Violence involving police officers has been on the rise, with statistics painting how the environment has become toxic constantly depicted by angry street protests.
2014 was a dark year for police officers with the number for police officers shot surging to 50 with 15 of those coming from unprovoked or premeditated ambushes. Growing anti-government sentiment continues to fuel weak minded individuals into launching violent attacks against men and women mandated to protect the rule of law
Milwaukee County Sheriff, David Clarke, affirms that a war has been declared on police officers. The argument, however, runs both ways as according to statics the minorities have always carried personal and financial burden when it comes to attention from the police.
President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have been pushing to ease an unending underlying friction that has been known to trigger more violence by and against the police. How officers define, their role is expected to set the tone of how communities react going forward