Report: Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson is resigning

1. Ferguson, Missouri, Police Chief Tom Jackson will resign on March 19, following the release of a scathing report from the US Department of Justice that found a pattern of racial bias in the city's law enforcement.
2. The Justice Department report criticized local police and courts for disproportionately targeting black residents in traffic stops to raise money through fines and court fees for the city budget.
3. The report repeatedly named Jackson as one of the people culpable of turning the city's police force into a fundraising operation. Jackson regularly bragged about breaking court revenue records in emails to city officials, who typically cheered him on.
4. Jackson's resignation is just the latest in a string of outs by city officials. On Monday, the Missouri Supreme Court appointed a state judge to take over Ferguson municipal court cases after Ronald Brockmeyer, the municipal judge, resigned. On Tuesday night, Ferguson city manager John Shaw also quit.

Ferguson still faces action from the Justice Department

The resignations likely won't change the next steps for Ferguson's police and courts, which need to find a way to deal with systemic racial biases.

The resigning officials may have fueled the disparities by demanding more revenue from law enforcement, but the Justice Department found a problem that goes much deeper than one city official.

The Justice Department is still trying to work out an agreement to oversee Ferguson's police and courts. If the city doesn't agree to the federal government's terms, it risks getting hit with a civil rights lawsuit.

Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?

Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple of big issues with relying on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on:

First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.

Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. And we can’t do that if we have a paywall.

So even though advertising is still our biggest source of revenue, we also seek grants and reader support. (And no matter how our work is funded, we have strict guidelines on editorial independence.)

If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today? Any amount helps.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via