DOJ "Ankle-Bracelets" The Chicago and Baltimore Police

With only days left at her job as Attorney General, Loretta Lynch announced that she has reached a "consent decree" with the cities of Baltimore and Chicago.  Under the "consent" of those two cities, the police departments will be forced to address the findings of abuse and violations of civil rights that were found to be "systemically" present in the year-long investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ).  As a result, police compliance under these "consent decrees" will be subject to a federal judge's review over the next 5 years and extending beyond 5 years, if compliance isn't achieved.

What is interesting is that there are now 20 police departments under "consent decrees" in this country, and in every case, the civil rights and abuse charges were always the same.  They are always defined by the DOJ as "systemic".  In other words, the violations are part of a "planned" and police-wide policy.  Even a reasonable person might find that claim to be quite unbelievable. Especially when it involves the arrest and treatment of minorities.  More importantly, the word "systemic" implies that there is rarely fair treatment of minorities by the police in these communities. 

The Washington Post/Frontline studied the DOJ's record of changing police departments as a result of these "consent decrees" and the results were mixed.  In many of those communities that were under federal supervision, crime spiked.  Also, in many cases, compliance can take more than a decade because of a revolving door of police chiefs during the process, coupled with a high rate of officers quitting.  In Detroit, for example, the compliance took 11 years and required the replacement of 8 police chiefs.  In Los Angeles, the taxpayers paid $300 million for reforms.  I think this quote from the Washington Post/Frontline report says it all:

"Officer morale in some of the departments plummeted during the interventions, according to interviews. Collectively, the departments have cycled through 52 police chiefs as the agencies tried to meet federal demands. Some departments have struggled to sustain reforms once oversight ended, and in some cities, police relations with residents remain strained."

With murders and crimes rising in major cities,  the intervention by the DOJ appears not to be having a positive effect.  Barack Obama's DOJ -- more than any previous administration -- has been particularly heavy-handed at adjudicating against the police; always occurring after the shooting of an  unarmed black person reaches national prominence in the media.  That, in my opinion, makes these investigations both reactionary and political.  More importantly, these kinds of "scathing" reports by the DOJ are putting targets on the backs of our police officers as each new report concludes that they are racist.  More police were killed in 2016 than in any of the previous 5 years, combined.

References:

January 12, 2017: Baltimore, DOJ Reach Agreement On Consent Decree For Baltimore Police: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/12/509479934/baltimore-doj-reach-agreement-on-consent-decree-for-baltimore-police

January 13, 2017: Feds release scathing report on Chicago police abuse: https://www.yahoo.com/news/doj-release-report-chicago-police-abuses-062249940.html

The DOJ’s jaw-dropping report about the Cleveland Police Department: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/12/05/the-dojs-jaw-dropping-report-about-the-cleveland-police-department/?utm_term=.1d21c14fed22

The 12 key highlights from the DOJ’s scathing Ferguson report: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/03/04/the-12-key-highlights-from-the-dojs-scathing-ferguson-report/?utm_term=.223c48fde486

Ferguson’s Violent Crime Rate Skyrockets In Aftermath Of Brown Shooting: http://dailycaller.com/2016/09/28/fergusons-violent-crime-rate-skyrockets-in-aftermath-of-brown-shooting/

Washington Post/Frontline: Forced reforms, Mixed results Federal interventions at troubled police departments across the country drag on for years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2015/11/13/forced-reforms-mixed-results/

DOJ investigations: 20 departments under enforcement agreements: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-doj-investigations-police-departments-20170112-htmlstory.html

After Bloodiest Year, Baltimore Murder Rate Still Rising: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/06/bloodiest-year-baltimore-murder-rate-rising/

Last year, Cleveland suffered a 90 percent jump in homicides: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chapman/ct-ferguson-crime-cops-murders-laquan-mcdonald-perspec-0131-jm-20160129-column.html

More police officers shot and killed in 2016 than in past 5 years: http://www.nbc26.com/news/national/a-look-at-the-shootings-of-police-officers-in-2016

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Social Justice in Ferguson, Mo? But, At What Cost?

In the 18 months following the shooting death of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson, Eric Holder's Department of Justice (DOJ) conducted a civil rights review of the Ferguson police force; even though Darren Wilson was exonerated of any charges.  Then, in 2015, the DOJ  found that the Ferguson police force was racist and that a substantial makeover was necessary.

Since then, the City Council determined that the makeover would cost almost $4 million in additional spending in the first year, and millions more in each of the subsequent years.  This, in a city that already had a $2.8 million deficit on a $14.5 million dollar a year spending budget.  Thus, the compliance with the demands of the Justice Department would result in a deficit of nearly 50% or $6.6 million in the first year; and increasing each year until bankruptcy, or unless the citizens of the City were willing to pay at least 50% more in taxes to reverse the deficit and comply with the Justice Department.  Knowing that taxes really couldn't be raised, because 1 in 4 Ferguson citizens were already in poverty and the average household income is 26% less than the  in the country as a whole. Therefore, the 50% increase in taxes would be a heavy burden on the citizens as businesses are forced to raise prices in an already poor community. The City had no other choice but to unanimously vote not to implement the required Justice Department demands.

Since that decision, the Federal government has sued the City of Ferguson in order to force the Council to implement the changes; no matter what the costs many be. And, those costs will be high; both economically and socially.

As a result of the lawsuit, the City's bond rating has been so significantly downgraded that no buyer of municipal bonds would ever risk investing in a Ferguson bond issuance.  Already, existing bonds are selling at a nearly 40% discount; and if the City loses the suit, the cost to borrow money will rise significantly.  Because a 50% increase in taxes is probably out of the question, this only leaves cutting costs to reduce the deficit.

As a result there will be fewer police and absolutely no overtime during low staffed hours.  This, in a city that is already experiencing extremely high crime rates. The number of firemen, too, will have to be reduced. It also means less road repairs or other government services such as garbage pickups.  These reductions, in turn, will result in ever lowering property values until, like Detroit, people are willing to sell their houses for a dollar to avoid paying property taxes. 

These are the costs that the predominately black community will pay to insure that not one iota of racism exists within the Ferguson Police Department.  The death of that City is a high cost to pay.  Of course, instead of suing, the federal government could pay for the demands they are making; leaving Ferguson to struggle with their existing debt problems.  But, this would establish a precedent and the Justice Department would be saddled with all the bills that it created in all the cities it declares racially biased.

File this under "Be careful for what you ask for".

References:

Federal government sues Ferguson, Missouri: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/02/10/federal-government-expected-to-sue-ferguson-missouri.html

Ferguson Bonds Downgraded: http://www.ericgarland.co/2016/01/27/ferguson-bonds-downgraded/

Ferguson Missouri Quick Facts: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/2923986.html

Crime Statistics for Ferguson, Mo: http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Ferguson-Missouri.html

You Can Buy a $1 Detroit Home. But Should You?: http://moneynation.com/can-buy-1-detroit-home/

United States Quick Facts: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html

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

Obama's Latest Ruse: Oil Riggers/Spectulators

Throughout his presidency, Obama has blamed one straw man after another in an attempt to deflect blame for his own shortcomings. Now, in what can only be called the biggest ruse of his presidency, he is trying to make you and I think that the only reason oil prices are high is because of oil price rigging and speculation.  Even for Obama, this is a new low.

In his Rose Garden campaign photo-op of yesterday, he called on Congress to pass new legislation that would strengthen the government's ability to prosecute them. But, think about this.  If oil rigging and fraudulent oil speculation is such a rampant problem, why is it that the President's own Securities and Exchange Commission, or his Department of Justice, or his Federal Trade Commission haven't prosecuted a single case of it in the last three years.  Why is it that his year-old Oil Speculation Task Force hasn't exposed such illegal activity. The reason is simple. There isn't any.

So, Obama is calling for stricter regulation, increased oversight, and higher fines for something that his own people have "never" proven to exist. All he's really trying to do is prove to the dumbest of voters that he's doing something to lower oil costs when, in fact, he is more responsible for high oil and gasoline prices than anyone else due to his excessive spending and his blocking of new oil exploration on federally-controlled lands and offshore locations.  But, more than that, Obama expects to use this as another one of his anti-Republican campaign messages.  Clearly, if his call for new regulation is ignored by Congress, he will, again, say that it's because the Republicans are putting the rich speculators and big oil companies ahead of what is really good for this nation.

By the Way. oil prices went up yesterday with oil traders obviously laughing off Obama's grandstanding on increased regulation.