Amy Goodman
@DemocracyNow·3.2M subscribers·19.4K videos
Is Ferguson Feeding off the Poor? City Disproportionately Stops, Charges and Fines People of Color
Posted
August 27, 2014
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August 27, 2014
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5:33Now PlayingAs the police killing of Michael Brown has focused global attention on the racial divide in the counties in and surrounding St. Louis, Missouri, a new report may explain why residents’ mistrust of the police runs so deep. It shows how a large part of the revenue for these counties comes from fines paid by AfricanAmerican residents who are disproportionately targeted for traffic stops and other lowlevel offenses. In Ferguson, the fines and fees are actually the city's second largest source of income, which is expected to generate $2.7 million in fiscal year 2014. We speak with Thomas Harvey, executive director of Arch City Defenders, and coauthor of their new report, which has been widely cited including in a stunning chart in Monday's New York Times that shows how Ferguson issued on average nearly three warrants per household last year the highest number of warrants in the state, relative to its size. “What my clients have told me since the first day I’ve ever represented anybody is, this is not about public safety, it’s about the money,” Harvey says. We also hear about the impact of the police harassment and ticketing from George Fields, who was among the local residents lined up for Michael Brown’s funeral on Monday in St. Louis.
This is a video excerpt from the interview. Watch the full 10minute segment with Thomas Harvey well as to see our other reports on the Ferguson protests, visit
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