Updated 2:55pm: President Barack Obama has told the people who wrecked the town of Ferguson that rioting does nothing.

President Obama says these riots won't bring about change.

I've never seen a civil rights law, or a healthcare bill, or an immigration bill result because a car got burned," he said.

"It happened because people vote, it happened because people mobilise, because people organise."

Yesterday, Obama said the country has a problem.

"The fact is in too many parts of this country a deep distrust exists between law enforcement and communities of colour, and this is tragic because nobody needs good policing more than poor communities with higher crime rates."

Carnage in the morning 

Ferguson is taking stock this morning after riots sparked by the failure of a grand jury to charge a white police officer with the fatal shooting of a black teenager.

Shops have been smashed and set alight, smoke is billowing from fire-gutted buildings and broken glass litters the streets.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon says there will soon be more than two thousand 200 National Guardsmen in the region, under the command of Brigadier General Gregory Mason.

"Lives and property must be protected.

"This community deserves to have peace."

The St Louis County Police Chief John Belmer is backing the work of authorities so far.

"Our community not only needs to be safe, they need to feel safe and I appreciate the Governor's leadership and certainly General Mason's troops in that regard."

PHOTOS: Riots in Ferguson

Bill Raack from St Louis Public Radio told Newstalk ZB's Rachel Smalley says the family of the victim is making a public appeal now, they're expected to expand on pleas they've made in the past.

"Peaceful protesting of the decision is fine, violent protesting which includes lighting businesses on fire, looting, is not acceptable. They've been very up front about that."

Mr Raack says in an unusual move, the prosecutor has released all of the evidence used by the grand jury, some 4000 documents.

He says while Darren Wilson won't face a court, this is not over for him.

"The US Department of Justice still has an investigation underway into Darren Wilson's actions and whether he violated Michael Brown's civil rights."

St Louis County police chief Jon Belmar says he's heartbroken after surveying the damage left by a night of rioting in Ferguson.

He says the fabric of the community has been torn apart .... some businesses are so damaged they may never come back.

"The good news is we've not fired a shot. As far as I know we don't have any serious injuries to police officers. They're banged up a little bit with rocks."

Mr Belmar says as far as he knows, they haven't caused any serious injuries.

The protests over the failure to charge a white police officer over the shooting dead of a black teenager have spread to other major US cities.

At least 29 people have been arrested.

Calls for calm 

Just as his father did ... Civil rights activist Martin Luther King III is calling for calm.

Martin Luther King the Third says violence creates a short term victory in the mind of those behind it, but more constructive solutions are needed in the long term.

"Somehow we have to find a way to constructively channel that energy that resulted in negative results.

"Violence may seem to work immediately but it really will not yield the most effective result."

He's calling for other voices - young people, businesses and the religious community - to come forward with solutions.