The one startling statistic about Ferguson that everyone is AFRAID to talk about

To accrue a warrant for your arrest requires you first break the law.

In an article on the Fourth Amendment and the right of police to stop people without probable cause, an alarming statistic was reported via CNN. Of the 21,000 residents of Ferguson, Missouri, 16,000 had outstanding warrants. This is not a typographical error.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - The article published by CNN titled, "Supreme Court ruling weakens crucial protection for us all" talks about Monday's decision by the court to substantially weaken the Fourth Amendment. The 5-3 ruling holds that even if an officer does not have reasonable suspicion to stop someone, evidence seized by them may still be admissible in court, in some cases. The decision basically allows police to fish for evidence in the course of a random stop, no longer requiring articulable probable cause. 

You should check out the article, but as you read it, you will encounter this startling statistic. Of the 22,000 residents of Ferguson, Missouri, 16,000 had outstanding warrants. Most of those warrants were for petty offenses, like traffic tickets, and would never carry jail time, nonetheless, it is startling to see a community where 8 out of every 11 people have arrest warrants.

Is this a case of systematic racism on behalf of the police department? Probably. Emails investigators seized from the police department there revealed systematic racism at play. And with 16,000 people having warrants against them, there's no wonder why so much animosity existed between the police and the people.

However, there's another problem here that nobody seems willing to mention. In order for a person to have a warrant out for their arrest, they must first break a law. With few exceptions, people who park correctly, who obey traffic laws, who do not deal in drugs, or commit acts of violence, simply do not accrue warrants.

Who is ultimately at fault?

The police do bear some blame. Officers know that if you follow a car long enough, the driver will eventually commit an infraction, usually unintentionally. And when you are inserting yourselves into people's lives and business, sooner or later you will find something worth nitpicking at which can then be translated into an arrest or accusation. But still, there are seven thousand residents of the town who have zero warrants. Why so? It's because they have not been found breaking the law.

Is crime so ingrained in the community's ethics that the people are habitual criminals? Maybe not the most serious of criminals, but certainly there must be some disdain for law and order.

The police of Ferguson are an extension of the community. The racial makeup of the force and their tactics should reflect the people and values of that community. If there is a disconnect, it should be promptly addressed. A general amnesty might be worthwhile for the people of this community, so they can clear their records and no longer have such unreasonable distrust of the police. And of course, the police must operate within the confines of the Constitution and deal with their neighbors as fellow citizens worthy of respect.

But ultimately, the burden to behave justly falls on the individual first. There are simply no excuses for breaking the law.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online