Explain clearly in a minimum of 100 words your thoughts on the idea of what the

Question

Explain clearly in a minimum of 100 words your thoughts on the idea of what the city manager should have done and why and?

One of the main cultural issues of the Ferguson incident was the role of the city management as being primarily white leaders in a primarily black community. When a young black man who has felt racially profiled and victimized his whole life was confronted with being politically involved to help fix this issue, he suggested he voted for President Obama twice. Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill was quick to speak up, “If you were on the City Council right now, you would have the ability to help fire the City Manager who has not fired Officer Darren Wilson” (PBS, 2014). Senator McCaskill’s statement shows the power of local government. This remarks leads into the question: What decisions were the city manager faced with during the events of Ferguson? The City Manager’s decision to not terminate Officer Wilson’s job was likely made through the political model decision-making process. Through this model Holzer and Schwester (2016) state, “They support their superiors’ opinions and choices at all costs” (p. 142). The city manager likely made his decision to not fire Officer Wilson because of pressure from law enforcement and other officials. If the manager were to fire Officer Wilson, he would have lost trust with local law enforcement. Local law enforcement likely told him the situation and believed that Officer Wilson did not act in an unlawful manner. Because of this, the City Manager might have listened to the police chief in making his decision in fear of losing a working relationship or reelection. The City Manager may have also respected Officer Wilson’s right to due process—the right to fair procedures and a hearing. The Ferguson tragedy is not only a local issue, but a state and federal as well. On the local level, the City of Ferguson was faced with ongoing riots and destruction of the city. They were dealing with how to allow citizens to exercise their freedom of speech without the risk of harm to others. After the incident, they were left with how to build trust between the community and law enforcement. Perhaps one of the greatest powers the people have is to vote the City Council members out of office which was one of the problems many residents felt was at stake. A broader issue on the Missouri state level is the problem that outside of St. Louis and Kansas City, the remainder of the state is primarily white residents. These people have never familiarized themselves with other cultures. At the close of the video, one resident suggests the complex situation starts with self-awareness of recognizing our actions and listening to the problems that lie within black communities. Lastly on the national through intergovernmental relations, the nation must as a whole develop public policies to better train law enforcement and inform citizens. There must be an initiative to help police officers become more transparent and better know the needs of their communities. It is the duty of the federal government to also provide a process for police officers to deal with crisis and conflict. While some states or cities have put forth such initiatives, this is a nationwide problem that needs to be addressed on the federal level.

Explanation / Answer

The city manager should have suspended Officer Wilson and ensured that an enquiry is carried to understand the facts of the incident. Not taking action against officer Wilson fearing pressure from local law enforcement itself forms a dereliction of duty on part of the city manager. Since the city which itself was predominantly dominated by the black community was governed by the white police force and city government, not taking an action would have eroded confidence in the law enforcement agencies and could create an atmosphere of distrust in the long run.

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