US police deadlier than terrorists Protests turn violent for a second night in Ferguson, Missouri. Police stand in riot gear outside the Ferguson Police Station. Yesterday was a dark day for the United States. The scenes from Ferguson, broadcast around the world, were reminiscent of the LA riots ignited by police brutality against Rodney King. The eyes of the world were on the Missouri town in the wake of the decision not to bring charges against the police officer who shot dead unarmed black teen Michael Brown. President Obama stressed the need for protests to be peaceful and constructive but not all protesters heeded his call, and it wasn't long before parts of the Missouri city were in flames. It's not surprising that people are angry. American police are becoming increasingly decisive with their use of force - a situation that has led to over 5,000 American civilians killed by police since 9/11. To put that in perspective, it is almost the same number of US soldiers who have been killed while fighting in Iraq. As the violent riots in Ferguson prove, this is not a tenable state of affairs. Ferguson awoke to a smouldering town following the grand duty decision. Picture: Charlie Riedel / AP Source: AP The president emphasises the need for positive change to come out of this tragedy. "We still have work to do," he said. It was an address that stressed the need for progress. The need for a solution. While he did not allude to any particulars about what that solution might be, Mr Obama has made a number of past attempts to rein in the gun culture that exists in the US. Arguments for greater gun control usually intensify after a mass shooting and while yesterday's verdict was about the question of police negligence - the President could use the intense media coverage of this event to push for stronger gun control laws. In the midst of the Ferguson protests, The Economist suggested that officers in the US would not be so trigger happy if it weren't for the "colossal gun ownership rates" in so many communities. It is not a stretch to make this argument. Perhaps if firearms weren't so ubiquitous in American society, police would not feel so threatened and may not be so quick to gun down a 12-year-old brandishing a toy gun, as was the case this past week in Cleveland. Tensions are high between police and protesters. Picture: Christian Gooden / AP Source: AP Obviously there are a multitude of factors that bring about a situation like the one seen in Ferguson over the past few months. The culture of law enforcement that has seen local police stations equipped with military gear, a lack of quality training, and racial profiling are all considered to be at the heart of the Michael Brown shooting. The steady militarisation of the American police force has resulted in some disturbing images and has drawn heavy criticism from some. A segment on John Oliver's satirical news show that decried the ability of police in a small Georgian town to acquire a tank has received close to 5 million views on YouTube. Less weapons on both sides should be the goal that America works towards. It may be a tired argument, but perhaps stricter gun control legislation is one small facet of the multifaceted solution required to avoid another Ferguson. Thousands of people in cities from Washington D.C. to LA are fighting the militarisation of the police. Picture: Win McNamee / Getty Images Source: AFP According to the US National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, in 2014, 45 on duty police officers were killed in a "firearm-related" incident, up from 27 the year before. In comparison, Australia has not had a police officer shot and killed on duty since David Rixon was fatally fired upon in Tamworth in March 2012. Similarly, the last officer to die in a firearm related incident in the UK was a Manchester constable in September 2012. While the population in America far eclipses that of both Australia and the UK, the staggeringly high number of officers that have been gun downed is sure to play on the psyche of those working in law enforcement. Protests erupted after the announcement of the grand jury decision. Picture: David Goldman / AP Source: AP The move towards tighter gun control is viewed as politically unfavourable and will predictably have many American's citing the coveted second amendment. However in Mr Obama's address yesterday, when referring to race relations in his country, he touted undeniable progress. "To deny that progress, I think, is to deny America's capacity for change," he said. For a politician that hitched his political ascendancy to the simple notion of change, when it comes to gun ownership, change is the very thing that might be needed.