Cops or Collection Agents? In Many Poor Communities, Police Seeking Fines End Up Firing Shots

...part of the reason police crack down on communities, ultimately leading to the escalation of violence, is a result of an out-of-step police system, which, for many poor communities, functions more as a collection agency for the judicial branch than a means of protection for its citizens. For many of the headline-grabbing deaths of black citizens at the hands of police, a common thread exists: Victims are being targeted for relatively minor offenses....
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/ending-police-violence-marginalized-communities