Slay joins Holder, Clinton in calling for sensitivity, collaboration after Ferguson
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday said the unrest after a Missouri police officer fatally shot an unarmed black 18-year-old in August shows law enforcement must directly address tension within communities.
Holder also called for an expanded review of police techniques and tactics in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting to provide national direction to law enforcement.
Holder and former President Bill Clinton spoke at the start of a two-day meeting of mayors and police chiefs gathered to talk about lessons from the shooting of Brown by white Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson and the protests that followed. Holder told the group what happened in Ferguson put a national spotlight on the rift between police and citizens in many cities.
The events in Ferguson reminded us that we cannot and we must not allow tensions, which are present in so many neighborhoods across America, to go unresolved, Holder said at the meeting held by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The mayors group is made up of larger cities with populations of 30,000 or more. Ferguson, with a population around 21,000, isnt a member.
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay was a featured speaker at the meeting.
There is a lot to this, Slay said in an interview with the Post-Dispatch after leaving the conference. The shooting magnified a lot of deep issues about things that have been going on for a long time. Slay said factors include racial profiling, force used by police, health education and poverty.
Its important to understand that we are all in this together, Slay said, noting that the events in Ferguson have an affect on the entire region.
Slay said he and St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson spoke with attendees about lessons learned from the crisis. He said he told them that leaders must recognize that many of the people who are angered in Ferguson want more than just a voice, they want to have a positive impact on what happens.
These are things mayors all across the nation (must) deal with, Slay said, saying that leaders must approach the issues with sensitivity and understanding.
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Slay joins Holder, Clinton in calling for sensitivity, collaboration after Ferguson