The report released by the U.S. Department of Justice on March 4, 2015 is a sweeping indictment on the practices of both the police department and municipal court system of Ferguson, Mo. – where the killing of Michael Brown sparked protests and scrutiny – both reflecting how communities of color relate to police nationally, and serving as a warning to local governments about their own criminal justice systems, legal experts said.

“Ferguson’s police, judges and other public servants long perpetuated a pattern of enforcement and adjudication practices that severely, disproportionately and unconstitutionally burdened African-Americans,” said Nirej Sekhon, an assistant professor of law at Georgia State University’s College of Law.

The report found that Ferguson’s police department stopped, cited, arrested and used excessive force against African-Americans to a much greater extent than against whites; additionally, the report outlined communications by city officials showing a focus by the city on generating revenue through arrests and citations – with the municipal court issuing arrest warrants for African-American defendants who missed court appearances for minor municipal violations, or who failed to make payments on the violations – many who missed payments because they couldn’t afford to pay.

“Ferguson offers a powerful morality tale about the dangers of turning cops and courts into a collection agency,” said Sekhon, who looks at criminal justice and institutions through the lenses of democracy and equality theory. “These are temptations for any cash-strapped municipality – and many have fallen prey.”

The Justice Department’s findings are consistent with how members of the local community, and communities of color across the nation, describe their local police forces and their relationship with police officers, said Tanya Washington, assistant professor of law at Georgia State’s College of Law.

The report pushed for Ferguson’s criminal justice apparatus to focus on community policing instead of focusing on punitive strategies to generate revenue – but that may be easier said than done.

“The recommendation regarding community policing is a sound one; however, I wonder how realistic it is to believe that police officers whose training and experience has legitimized abusive, inhumane and illegal policing will be able to adapt to a culture shift that prioritizes people over profit and requires that police act as public servants and not tyrants,” Washington said. “Serious training will be necessary to facilitate this transition.”

For more about Sekhon, visit http://law.gsu.edu/profile/nirej-sekhon/. For more about Washington, visit http://law.gsu.edu/profile/tanya-monique-washington/.