The U.S. Department of Justice has requested that Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson prohibit police officers from wearing “I am Darren Wilson” bracelets while on duty.

Officer Wilson shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, as he walked home on Aug. 9. 

From STL Today:

Christy Lopez, a deputy chief in the Civil Rights Division, told Jackson in a letter that residents had photos of officers, from unknown local agencies, wearing the bracelets.

 “We are keenly aware of the importance of individual expression of opinions, even those that some find offensive, insensitive, or harmful,” Lopez said in the letter. However, she continued, “these bracelets reinforce the very ‘us versus them’ mentality that many residents of Ferguson believe exists.”

This is at least the second letter from Lopez to Jackson this week. The first, dated Tuesday, urged Jackson to enforce department policies requiring officers to wear nametags.

“The lack of name plates,” she wrote, “makes it difficult or impossible for members of the public to identify officers if they engage in misconduct, or for police departments to hold them accountable.”

Read more at STL Today

Jackson could not immediately be reached for comment about the requests.

This seems like a no-brainer.

Why do you think Chief Jackson is allowing officers to wear bracelets that obviously increase tensions between cops and citizens?

Sound off below!