Ferguson Not Reforming Fast Enough: Court-Appointed Monitor

FERGUSON, MO — The city of Ferguson, Mo., needs to hire additional staff and redouble its reform efforts, according to Natashia Tidwell, a court-appointed monitor overseeing the consent agreement between the city and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Tidwell, a former federal prosecutor, told a judge in St. Louis the city is making progress, but she has concerns about the pace of implementing new polices put in place after the Justice Department sued the city for violating its citizens' civil rights two years ago.

The 2016 complaint against the city found that Ferguson police conducted stops and searches without legal justification, used excessive force, prosecuted municipal charges in a manner that violated due process, and routinely discriminated against African Americans.

The Justice Department's investigation came in the wake of widespread unrest after police officer Darren Wilson shot 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014. A grand jury declined to charge Wilson with murder, and state and local officials were criticized for their heavy-handed response to the resulting protests, which included armored vehicles and police officers with military-style weapons and body armor.

Ferguson's city manager, De’Carlon Seewood, said he will recommend the city council hire additional staff.

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.

Photo: Police confront demonstrators during a 2014 protest in Ferguson, Missouri. Police shot pepper spray, smoke, gas and flash grenades at protestors before retreating. Several businesses were looted as the county police sat nearby with armored personnel carriers. (Scott Olson/News/Getty Images)