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U.S. Attorney General Holder Denounces Police Shootings In Missouri

Attorney General Eric Holder denounces the shootings of Ferguson, Mo., officers and announces six pilot cities for a community trust and justice initiative.
Andrew Harnik
/
AP
Attorney General Eric Holder denounces the shootings of Ferguson, Mo., officers and announces six pilot cities for a community trust and justice initiative.

Attorney General Eric Holder has condemned the unknown assailant who shot two police officers overnight in Ferguson, Mo., as a "punk who was trying to sow discord" and said he hoped the "disgusting and cowardly attack" would not unravel the progress the community is making to restore trust in the police and the municipal courts there.

At a news conference in Washington, Holder announced the latest steps in his campaign to restore trust in law enforcement, including six pilot sites to test strategies for strengthening bonds between citizens and police. Those sites are Birmingham, Ala.; Stockton, Calif.; Gary, Ind.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Fort Worth, Texas.

The pilot programs are intended to facilitate racial reconciliation, reduce implicit bias in policing, and affirm the idea of procedural justice — that the way law enforcement officers treat people in everyday interactions is as important as the outcome of those interactions, such as arrests and convictions.

"There's research that suggests that when people feel like they were treated respectfully by the police, that goes a long way towards community trust, regardless of the outcome," said Nancy LaVigne, director of the Justice Policy Center at the Urban Institute, which will conduct research as part of the federal grant.

Holder, who is likely to retire after six years in office as early as next week, when the Senate votes on his successor, said his efforts on policing in no way were intended to cast all law enforcement officers in a negative light.

"My brother's a retired law enforcement officer and he always tells me that cops have the right to come home at night, you know?" Holder said.

He said authorities in Missouri will have the full support and resources of the federal government as they investigate the shooting near the Ferguson Police Department. The officers who were shot have been released from the hospital.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Carrie Johnson is a justice correspondent for the Washington Desk.