( CNN ) Early Thursday -- during the ongoing protests that continue to shake Ferguson , Missouri -- two police officers were shot . Such violence and lawlessness should never be tolerated . But the unrest during which it occurred demonstrates that the people of Ferguson have lost all confidence in their police department . And the resignation of the police chief this week wo n't be enough to restore faith in law and order . Everyone in the department needs to step down so the department can be rebuilt from the ground up . It is easy to see why . After a police officer shot Michael Brown , the U.S. Department of Justice conducted an investigation into the Ferguson Police Department . What investigators found was a `` pattern and practice '' of discrimination against African-Americans . In a town with a black population of 67 % , black people represented 85 % of vehicle searches , 90 % of the traffic violations and 93 % of the arrests . There is no way to justify this . Now , the Department of Justice has an opportunity to gut the Ferguson Police Department and rebuild it from scratch . In fact , it 's more than an opportunity : It 's a necessity . In the court of law , there is an old closing argument that goes like this : You sit down , pour yourself a bowl of stew and find that the first piece of meat that you taste is rancid . You do n't put just that piece aside ; you throw out the whole bowl . Lawyers use this story to say that if you catch a witness lying about one thing , then you ca n't believe anything they say . Unfortunately , it is an analogy that can be applied to the Ferguson Police Department . The Department of Justice report revealing unquestionable racist bias that permeated the entire department can not be ignored , and the problems it reveals can not be fixed from the inside . If there are a few good cops in the Ferguson Police Department , they need to leave , and they need to go elsewhere to continue their proud law enforcement career without being overshadowed by their involvement in a poisoned organization . In fact , everyone in the Ferguson Police Department needs to leave , from the top to the bottom . The police department should be completely reconstituted under Department of Justice control in a manner that ensures that citizens of Ferguson receive the type of public service they pay for and deserve -- and more importantly , in a manner that protects their rights , not only as citizens of Ferguson , Missouri , but as constitutionally protected citizens of our country . A completely rebuilt Ferguson Police Department , established with a charter to enforce the law with equality , could serve as an example for every law enforcement agency in the country . A new Ferguson Police Department could show what a concerted , roots-up effort toward nonracist behavior in a police department can be . Under Justice Department leadership , the Ferguson Police Department could become a model for practices such as equipping all police with body cameras , community policing and better use of force training . If we can create from the ashes of the Ferguson Police Department a model that works , it may provide some consolation for minorities who have been disproportionately targeted by law enforcement . And if the black community in Ferguson -- in fact , people of every race in Ferguson -- can look back five years from now and see an unbiased organization of public servants who give respect and get respect , who reduce fear rather than cause it , then perhaps the tragedy of Michael Brown 's death will stand for something .
O'MaraMark O'Mara : Justice Department says Ferguson has record of racial discrimination . Mark O'Mara says police force in Ferguson must be dismantled . He says a new department , with new practices to prevent replay of abuses , can be model for others , help repair injustices in Ferguson .