Mediaboss Marketing

Attorney General Eric Holder, pictured Sept. 4, says "durable relationships between police and their communities do not develop overnight." Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP hide caption

Attorney General Eric Holder, pictured Sept. 4, says "durable relationships between police and their communities do not develop overnight."

Attorney General Eric Holder is urging law enforcement officers and protesters to keep the peace as a grand jury decision nears about whether to indict white police officer Darren Wilson for shooting dead a black 18-year-old who was unarmed in Ferguson, Mo.

For months, federal officials in Washington, D.C., have been on the ground in Missouri, offering training and tips to ease community tensions and try to prevent violence. That work has picked up steam in recent days as elected officials and protest groups in Ferguson steel for an announcement about the grand jury that's been hearing evidence since August.

In a video released today, Holder says, "The Justice Department encourages law enforcement officials in every jurisdiction to work with the communities that they serve to minimize needless confrontation."

Images of armored vehicles, police clad in riot gear, and weapons pointed at unarmed demonstrators protesting the Aug. 9 death of Michael Brown startled the nation and provoked an ongoing conversation about "militarization" of local law enforcement. The American Civil Liberties Union responded by repeatedly suing local authorities in Missouri for allegedly violating the First Amendment rights of peaceful protesters.

Holder says in the video that "durable relationships between police and their communities do not develop overnight." And he praises the vast majority of law enforcement agents for behaving well amid the intense national glare.

But the attorney general says he has a message for protesters, too.

"History has ... shown us that the most successful and enduring movements for change are those that adhere to nonaggression and nonviolence. And so I ask all those who seek to lend their voice to important causes and discussions, and who seek to elevate these vital conversations, to do so in a way that respects the gravity of their subject matter," Holder says.

Holder, who's preparing to leave the Justice Department after the Senate confirms his successor, says he will continue to work on issues of community policing and implicit bias even after he retires from government service.

Read the original post:
Holder Calls For Calm As Ferguson Grand Jury Decision Looms

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder speaks at the 44th Annual Congressional Black Caucus legislative conference Sept. 26, 2014, in Washington, D.C. T.J. Kirkpatrick, Getty Images

Attorney General Eric Holder privately expressed frustration to Missouri's governor over declaring a state of emergency ahead of a grand jury decision in last summer's police shooting of an unarmed black man in Ferguson, a Justice Department official told CBS News.

Play Video

In anticipation of the grand jury decision on whether to charge a police officer in the shooting death of an unarmed black teen, Missouri Governo...

The official said Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon didn't give the department advance notice of the state of emergency and activation of the National Guard, CBS News reporter Paula Reid reports. Nixon took the actions Monday while a grand jury is deciding whether to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, who is white, for the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.

A decision from the grand jury is expected in the coming days.

Holder thought that Nixon's actions set the wrong tone and that the tone of his press conference Monday was counter-productive and served to escalate tensions well ahead of the grand jury decision, the official said.

Play Video

Rising tensions in Ferguson, Missouri, led to a confrontation outside of a police station Thursday night. CBS News saw several demonstrators arre...

Two sources have confirmed to Reid that the grand jury was expected to hear from one more witness Friday and then begin deliberations.

See more here:
Holder frustrated with governor over Ferguson action

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Attorney General Eric Holder has issued new guidelines for law enforcement policing protests in anticipation of a grand jury's announcement in the Micheal Brown shooting. And city officials have announced that public schools in Ferguson would be closed Monday and Tuesday in anticipation of a decision over the weekend.

"As we've seen, durable relationships between the police and their communities do not develop overnight," the nation's top-ranking law enforcement offical said in a video statement released Friday.

"The Justice Department encourages law enforcement officials, in every jurisdiction, to work with the communities they serve to minimize needless confrontation. It is vital to engage in planning and preparation, from evaluating protocols and training to choosing the appropriate equipment and uniforms. This is the hard work that is necessary to preserve the peace and maintain the public trust at all times -- particularly in moments of heightened community tension."

Holder's message comes the day after at least three people were arrested in Ferguson during a Thursday night protest that temporarily blocked traffic.

According to St. Louis Today, at about 9 p.m. police responded to calls of protesters in the streets. Responding officers say they gave the 30 to 40 demonstrators an opportunity to return to the sidewalk. When the crowd refused, officers ordered them to disperse and arrested some of those who did not comply.

On Friday afternoon, city officials announced the school closings.

"With the heightened anxiety and activity, we thought it would be better for students and staff to extend the holiday at this point," Superintendent Tiffany Anderson told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Anderson said the decision to close schools was made as much for the students' safety as it was for peace of mind of local parents.

"For adults, there's as great -- if not greater -- anxiety. They're thinking a lot about how to support kids, how to make sure everything is in place."

2014 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

The rest is here:
Eric Holder issues new police guidelines in anticipation of Ferguson decision

Holder: "BRAINWASH kids about GUNS."
DOJ head ERIC HOLDER announces that government and public figures must BRAINWASH KIDS to hate guns. That #39;s why USGOV created their (fake) "Sandy Hook Massacre." The biggest school ...

By: Barry Soetoro

See the original post here:
Holder: "BRAINWASH kids about GUNS." - Video

Analysis: Feds Investigate Ferguson PD
Following the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the Justice Department led by Attorney General Eric Holder has opened up an investigation into the practices of the...

By: Associated Press

View original post here:
Analysis: Feds Investigate Ferguson PD - Video