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Editorial: More work to be done for equal justice

 
The grand jury’s decision in Ferguson, Mo., should not be the final word. The Justice Department and the FBI should continue their civil rights investigations.
The grand jury’s decision in Ferguson, Mo., should not be the final word. The Justice Department and the FBI should continue their civil rights investigations.
Published Nov. 25, 2014

The grand jury's decision not to indict the white police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Mo., should not be the final word on a confrontation that sparked protests nationwide and reflects the racial divide that still splits too many communities. The Justice Department and the FBI should continue their civil rights investigations, and local governments and law enforcement agencies throughout Florida and the country should renew their efforts to build trust with minority residents who do not believe they are treated equally.

Lawyers for the family of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was fatally shot by Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in August, said Tuesday that the grand jury process was unfair and that St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch is too close to police and should have been replaced. The Congressional Black Caucus called the grand jury's conclusion a miscarriage of justice. More protests occurred in Tampa, St. Petersburg and across the country, and Missouri officials braced for more violence in Ferguson following the ugly scene that played out on national television Monday night after the grand jury's decision was announced. This country has a rich history of nonviolent protest that brought positive change, and peaceful demonstrations cannot be allowed to be hijacked by those who would harm the innocent and destroy property.

There is much to criticize about the response to this fatal shooting on a Saturday afternoon in August, from the initial reaction of the Ferguson police department to the responses of regional officials and the Missouri governor. At times they were slow to recognize the legitimate concerns about the shooting; at other points they overreacted with a show of force that only heightened emotions. Even the timing of the release of the grand jury report, at 8 p.m. local time Monday after hours of anticipation and building crowds, seemed tone deaf.

There are some broader lessons. The importance of diversity in government and the criminal justice system cannot be overstated. There were just three black officers in the 53-member force in Ferguson, while roughly two-thirds of the residents are black. Just three of the 12 members of the grand jury, which had been convened before the shooting, are black. In Tampa Bay, it is helpful to have a woman as Tampa police chief and an African-American as St. Petersburg police chief who are experienced and well-qualified. There is plenty of room for improvement in Tampa Bay and elsewhere, but there are more opportunities to build trust and confidence in government and police when local leadership reflects the makeup of the community better than it does in Ferguson.

The public release of the evidence and testimony reviewed by the grand jury also is useful. Now people can read Wilson's testimony and review evidence ranging from the number of shots fired to autopsy reports. They can read the reports and conflicting accounts from witnesses and evaluate the inconsistencies. More transparency is good, and different people will reach different conclusions.

One particular image from Monday night sticks out. On one side of a split television screen, President Barack Obama, the nation's first black president, spoke live from the White House about the need to accept the grand jury's decision, remain calm and continue to root out unequal justice. On the other side, police in Ferguson were shooting tear gas canisters at protesters angry that a white police officer was not charged with a crime for shooting and killing an unarmed black teenager. As far as this nation has come on issues of race, there is so much more to be done.

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In Ferguson and throughout the country, public confidence in the rule of law needs to be rebuilt. Protests calling for meaningful change need to remain peaceful as the federal investigations proceed. And the legal system, from local police departments to prosecutors and the courts, needs more work so that everyone trusts they will be treated equally regardless of their race or background.