October 14, 2015
The Ferguson Commission Report was released in response to upheaval in Ferguson about racial victimization Sept. 14. As outlined by the Ferguson Commission website, the report is a take on the causes that led to the unrest in the wake of Michael Brown’s death and to make recommendations for making the a better place for everyone to live and to guide the community toward positive change for the residents of the St. Louis region.
“[The Ferguson Commission Report] is a compilation of issues affecting the lives, community and vitality of [the St. Louis] region,” Paul Ward, Kirkwood city councilman, said. “But the community must desire and seek the changes outlined in the Ferguson Commission Report for us to make the necessary changes.”
The Ferguson Commission is made up of 16 people from different backgrounds and qualifications. As shown on the Ferguson Commission website, most are faith or community leaders. According to the website, the commissioners reflect the rich diversity of the St. Louis region and offer a broad array of experience, expertise and opinions.
“I totally agree with the process Ferguson is using,” Darnel Frost, Kirkwood Humans Rights Commission chairman, said. “I know the chair of the Ferguson Commission, and I believe he has given tremendous guidance and leadership in a trying time.”
Though taking on the task of writing the report, the commissioners have no responsibility in investigations regarding police shootings, such as the Mike Brown incident. It included investigations with the county prosecutor and the United States Justice Department. They do, however, have the duty to help create positive change for the St. Louis region, as stated on the website.
“I feel the Ferguson Commission has the mission of healing Ferguson,” Frost said. “I also feel a huge responsibility [of the commission] is to help bring the community closer together and help strengthen relationships.”
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regarding the youth of Missouri. It points out the struggles kids in this state endure. One in every five children live in a home with little to no food at some time during the year. According to the document, a solution to this problem is for public schools to provide free meals to their students. However, schools can also add complications for the lives of their students. In the 2011-12 school year, 14.3 percent of black elementary school students in Missouri were suspended, compared to 1.8 percent of white students. The report states Missouri has the highest disciplinary gap in schools between its white and black students in the U.S.. This hurts academic performances and lowers teacher expectations, which is shown to lead to incarceration, according to the report. A few of the reforms the report spells out are: Elimination of out-of-school suspension and expulsion from Pre-K to 3rd grade and training for school organizations on the needs and legal rights of students.
Now that the report has highlighted the changes that need to be made in the St. Louis region, adjustments are in progress, sates the website.
“I think the report is helpful and a move in the right direction,” Dr. Andrea Boyles, author of “Race, Place, and Suburban Policing” and expert on black citizen-police conflict, said, “However, the report alone cannot solve racial problems. In essence, it is just information.”
The report is only a milestone on the path toward positive change for the region, according to The Ferguson Commission website.
According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, police departments across the state are going to enforce to their policemen and women to use the least amount of force necessary. Training and policies should favor the “least harmful decisions possible.
To help mend the relationship between the law enforcement and the community, a civilian review board will be put into place in order to meet the needs of the people, states the Newsweek website.
The report and future plans of the commission is just a step to, not only have a better community in the St. Louis region, but also to influence further reforms happening across America, the website states.
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Dor Sim • Oct 19, 2015 at 10:43 pm
This is excellent! I really enjoyed this article thank you for writing it. I have a greater sense of Ferguson and the racial tensions with police and the community which resides there and America on a whole as well as proactive solutions to merge both groups together. Thanks again!