DOJ releases report on racial bias committed by San Fransisco PD News
DOJ releases report on racial bias committed by San Fransisco PD

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] on Wednesday released a report [PDF] on racial bias committed by the San Francisco Police Department in traffic stops, searches and killings. The research was conducted by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) [official website] at the request of San Francisco city officials and found [AP report] that, “police use force against blacks more often than other racial groups and pull over African American drivers at a disproportionately high rate[.]” The COPS report is meant to serve as a “road map” for police reform in the city and includes 272 suggestions for improvement.

The use of racial profiling by law enforcement officials has been an ongoing topic of discussion in the US. Earlier in October a US District Judge dismissed [JURIST report] a lawsuit filed by participants of the Ferguson riots that alleged police abuse. The complaint alleged that police were unlawfully violent when quelling riots in the wake of the 2014 Michael Brown killing. In April of last year the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Arizona Sheriff Arpaio engaged in practices of racial profiling when conducting traffic stops, and in June a judge for the US District Court for the District of Arizona issued [JURIST reports] a pre-trial order accepting the other court’s finding of racial profiling. The case against Arpaio is on going and in October he was charged [JURIST report] for violating a court order that required him to end his immigration patrols.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Congress passed legislation establishing post-WWII national security structure

On July 25, 1947, the National Security Act of 1947 was passed, establishing a linkage between the military and national security, and setting up the National Security Council (NSC), the CIA, the Department of Defense, and several other new agencies, including the National Military Establishment with three separate departments (the Army, the Navy and the new US Air Force), and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Learn more about the National Security Act of 1947.

Brunswick Manifesto proclaimed

On July 25, 1792, the Brunswick Manifesto was proclaimed by Charles William Ferdinand, the Duke of Brunswick during the French Revolutionary Wars. As leader of the forces allied against France, Ferdinand promised retribution against the citizens of Paris if the French Royal Family was harmed. Instead, the Manifesto further inflamed anti-royal sentiment in Paris.