I work in the area and this area, North St. Louis County, has a reputation for high crime, hard nosed policing, corruption, and yes, some degree of racism but nowhere near what the agitativists are portraying. I know Ferguson officers and they are very overworked, as in calls waiting when you start your watch, and calls stacked when you go home. The detective bureau can’t even start looking at a case until after a month has passed, they are that backlogged.
Now, do I think Ferguson admin could have released some stuff earlier that would have helped. Yes, but in an effort to maintain objectivity they brought in St. Louis County, a common practice, who then gets to decide what info is released. To compound that, Ferguson apparently hired a PR firm that contantly stifles their information release so the misinformation continues to circulate.
The “no-bill” is going to set St. Louis city and others alight. The agitativitst have made it clear that they will accept no other outcome but the public execution of Darren Wilson and have PROMISED violence.
The county prosecutor, Bob McCulloch, knows this case is a non-starter, especially with Wilson volunteering to testify before the Grand Jury and doing so for four hours. I was never in GJ more than a half hour. He also hinted that this case was going to go nowhere because he was promising to bring all evidence to light to the public for transperancy. You don’t do this unless you know the case is so controversial that people are going to pop off and you hope the release will belay some of that.
Anyway, stay safe wherever you are, it’s going to get turbulent.
Thanks for your reply. I live about 75 miles south of St. Louis, but I attended UMSL and worked in the St Louis area till my retirement.
While I didn’t work in that town, I am familiar with the area. The local coverage, highlighted a number of residents black and white who were pointing out the impact of outside agitators.
I think your conclusions are very likely.