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WASHINGTON Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday opened a broader civil rights investigation of the practices and procedures of the Ferguson Police Department in the wake of the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown, 18, by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.

The Civil Rights Division will investigate whether the Ferguson police have engaged in a pattern of civil rights violations, Holder said.

The attorney general also announced that the Justice Department has begun what he called a partnership with the St. Louis County Police Department aimed at assessing the department's response to the demonstrations that followed the shooting.

The probe of Ferguson police will include the department's use of force, stops, searches and arrests, he said, adding that Ferguson officials welcomed the investigation and pledged cooperation. Justice Department officials said there is no timeline on the length of the investigation, and that the timeline depends on the cooperation of local authorities.

The goal, Holder said, is to reach an agreement with the department that would establish new tactics to eliminate bias and increase community confidence in the department.

He pledged a "fair, thorough investigation" that would result in "lasting, positive change."

Ferguson Mayor James Knowles told the Post-Dispatch Wednesday night that the city has "nothing to hide" and welcomes an investigation.

Holder said his department could expand the inquiry later to include police in neighboring communities.

The initial investigation will not look into the hiring practices of the Ferguson Police Department, which has been criticized for having only a handful of black officers in a majority-black community.

"Those numbers don't in and of themselves" prove discrimination, said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Molly Moran, although she said that the broader investigation could lead there.

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Holder announces new civil rights probe in Ferguson