Policing Ferguson, Policing America: What Really Happened-and What the Country Can Learn from It

by Thomas Jackson

Overview

Following the fatal shooting in broad daylight of unarmed African American Michael Brown by a white cop in August 2014, Ferguson, Missouri became the scene of protests that pitted law enforcement against locals and Black Lives matter activists. The media firestorm has not waned, and, in fact, has grown stronger in light of all the recent violence by and against police officers nationwide. According to Ferguson’s former police chief Tom Jackson, the uninformed media actually fans the flames of unrest and exploits the situation: infotainment optics have become more important than truth, while social media spreads the news without providing context. Policing Ferguson, Policing America is the book that finally tells the inside story of what happened in Ferguson, and how good guys became the bad guys through media and political distortion.

Pressure is at a boiling point. In 2016, America has been rocked by heart-wrenching fatal shootings of African Americans by police officers in Louisiana and in Minnesota, and by the shootings of police offers in Dallas, Baton Rouge, and Kansas City that left eleven officers dead and a dozen more wounded. To many Americans, the central theme of this continuing bloody story is one of racial injustice and out-of-control policing. Policing Ferguson, Policing America brings common sense and a keen insider's understanding to a complex story.

Black Lives Matter, and so do the lives of cops. Citizens and law-enforcement professionals alike feel the urgent need for our systems and procedures to change for the better. Few people are in a better position to explore the issues than Chief Jackson. In Policing Ferguson, Policing America, Jackson tells for the first time the real Ferguson story while sharing his thoughts about the steps we can take together to improve all Americans' lives, and restore the vital trust between the police and the communities they serve. His well-informed recommendations just may improve this dire situation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781510719767
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	07/25/2017
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Thomas Jackson is the former police chief of Ferguson, Missouri, who oversaw many years of progress in his community until Michael Brown’s tragic shooting death. He stepped down in March 2015 but continues to be sought by the media to discuss not only Ferguson, but also officers’ and victim’s rights, police procedures, and the rash of violence by and against police. Jackson lives in Ferguson, Missouri.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction xi

Chapter 1 Officer-Involved Fatal Shooting 1

Chapter 2 The Media Feeding Frenzy 25

Chapter 3 It's All about the Optics 51

Chapter 4 All Roads Lead to Ferguson 69

Chapter 5 The Real Lives of Cops 83

Chapter 6 Politicians Fiddle while Ferguson Burns 111

Chapter 7 A Biased Report about Bias 137

Chapter 8 Blaming Police for a Broken Society 165

Chapter 9 Aftermath 183

Epilogue 193

Appendix 199

Acknowledgments 213

Index 217

Editorial Reviews

07/17/2017
Former Ferguson police chief Jackson adds little clarity to discourse around the controversial 2014 shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American, by Darren Wilson, a white cop, which ultimately led to Jackson’s resignation. He firmly believes that his department was defamed by the unruly media and a biased federal investigation. Although the FBI concluded that the shooting was justified, the Justice Department’s review of the Ferguson police force under Jackson’s leadership found a pattern of unconstitutional conduct aimed at the city’s African-American population. While Jackson acknowledges some mistakes in handling the unrest that followed Brown’s death—for example, when police dogs were deployed as a means of crowd control—he dismisses such choices as bad optics, rather than substantive misjudgments: “Whether or not the canines legitimately or appropriately served the goal of public safety, the simple image... conjured up memories of Selma and Little Rock and Bull Connor, and provided the first piece of ammunition for anyone who wanted to paint the police out to be the dangerous aggressors.” Jackson noticeably passes on an opportunity to specifically rebut the critical report, stating that, while he was familiar with some of the incidents it cited, he did not have the time or space to address any of them in this book. His analysis reads more like a defense of himself and his department than a civic-minded reflection on lessons to be learned from a national tragedy. (July)

Publishers Weekly

What amazing insight Policing Ferguson, Policing America brings to a situation that escalated out of control. Tom Jackson provides an inside glimpse to the real story of Ferguson, so the reader gets a better understanding of how situations can spin out of control, when politicians get involved. Policing Ferguson showcases how an incident that likely wouldn't have made it past local news, suddenly becomes a political inferno. To understand what happened in Ferguson for real, Policing Ferguson is a must read!”
—Kevin Jackson, bestselling author, FOX News contributor
“Make this the next book you read. Chief Jackson's insight and brutal honesty are a refreshing change from the disgraceful fiction manufactured by reporters, politicians, and protesters in the wake of the Ferguson riots. If you seek the truth, you'll find it in these pages.”
—Jeff Roorda, former Missouri state representative, retired police officer, and author of The War on Police
“Policing Ferguson, Policing America will, and should, become a primary source of information for anyone wanting to learn what really happened in Ferguson. Chief Jackson’s thoughtfully contrasts what he knew from the inside with the uncontrolled vitriol directed at him and other Ferguson leaders. His candor is remarkable, showing a sensitive understanding of increasingly complicated race relations in his home community and in the nation.”
—Ed Wojcicki, executive director, Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police
“For those who feel a responsibility to seek the truth in understanding the complexities of ‘right-and-wrong,’ Policing Ferguson, Policing America offers deep and compassionate insights into the national shame of racism and failed public policy, the challenges faced by every community and its respectful law enforcement, and what we as a collective society can do in building a better future for all.”
—Mark Laycock, internationally acclaimed conductor and composer, and product of the Ferguson-Florissant Public School District.

“What amazing insight Policing Ferguson, Policing America brings to a situation that escalated out of control. Tom Jackson provides an inside glimpse to the real story of Ferguson, so the reader gets a better understanding of how situations can spin out of control, when politicians get involved. Policing Ferguson showcases how an incident that likely wouldn't have made it past local news, suddenly becomes a political inferno. To understand what happened in Ferguson for real, Policing Ferguson is a must read!”
—Kevin Jackson, bestselling author, FOX News contributor
“Make this the next book you read. Chief Jackson's insight and brutal honesty are a refreshing change from the disgraceful fiction manufactured by reporters, politicians, and protesters in the wake of the Ferguson riots. If you seek the truth, you'll find it in these pages.”
—Jeff Roorda, former Missouri state representative, retired police officer, and author of The War on Police
“Policing Ferguson, Policing America will, and should, become a primary source of information for anyone wanting to learn what really happened in Ferguson. Chief Jackson’s thoughtfully contrasts what he knew from the inside with the uncontrolled vitriol directed at him and other Ferguson leaders. His candor is remarkable, showing a sensitive understanding of increasingly complicated race relations in his home community and in the nation.”
—Ed Wojcicki, executive director, Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police
“For those who feel a responsibility to seek the truth in understanding the complexities of ‘right-and-wrong,’ Policing Ferguson, Policing America offers deep and compassionate insights into the national shame of racism and failed public policy, the challenges faced by every community and its respectful law enforcement, and what we as a collective society can do in building a better future for all.”
—Mark Laycock, internationally acclaimed conductor and composer, and product of the Ferguson-Florissant Public School District.

From the Publisher