Holder's Admonishment of the Ferguson Police Just Raised Racial Tensions

In his very public press conference outlining the findings of a months long Justice Department investigation of the Ferguson Police Department,  Attorney General Eric Holder has basically told the world that the Ferguson Police are racists.  Further, he said that those kind of abuses weren't just limited to Ferguson but in many communities across the country.  Thus, implying that racism was rampant throughout America's police forces. 

Now, if Holder (and Obama) thinks that, by certifying cops as "generally" racially motivated in their actions, he will somehow improve race relations in community policing, he's dead wrong.  All he did with those words in that conference is reinforce in the minds of blacks that most white cops are racists.  That, in itself, just sent racial distrust through the roof.

Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor when dealing with sensitive situations.  Holder could have discretely handled this by using the power of his Justice Department to enforce better community oriented policing in Ferguson without going public and declaring that their police are racially motivated.  Instead, he elects to throw out some red meat to the crowd and further inflame an already volatile situation.

At the same time, he's has effectively handcuffed the Ferguson cops; causing them to avoid any confrontation with the predominately black community they work in.  As a result, the years of reduced crime in Ferguson will reverse itself due to an overly cautious police department that is under the federal microscope. 

References:

Holder Slams Ferguson Cops for Racist, Money-Grubbing: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/michael-brown-shooting/holder-slams-ferguson-cops-racist-money-grubbing-practices-n317491

Crime rate in Ferguson, Missouri (MO): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map:  http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Ferguson-Missouri.html

Obama calls Ferguson an example of 'broken and racially biased' policing in America ahead of historic Selma anniversary speech:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2983389/Obama-calls-Ferguson-example-broken-racially-biased-policing-America-happen-ahead-historic-Selma-anniversary-speech.html