Ferguson city council want changes to police reform plan
Source: Reuters
The Ferguson, Missouri city council voted on Tuesday to approve an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to reform the city's police department after the 2014 shooting of a black teenager, but with changes that must still get federal approval.
In a unanimous vote, the council for the St. Louis suburb agreed with the basic terms of the agreement, which includes requiring the police department to give officers bias-awareness training and implement an accountability system.
The department would need to ensure that police stop, search and arrest practices do not discriminate on the basis of race or other factors protected under law. The settlement also requires the city to change its municipal code, including sections that impose prison time for failure to pay certain fines.
But at a crowded public meeting, the council balked at certain requirements, including pay levels for police officers and staffing levels at the jail. The council also asked that the agreement not apply to outside agencies if the city outsourced any police work.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-missouri-ferguson-idUSKCN0VI1H5
World | Tue Feb 9, 2016 10:49pm EST
FERGUSON, MO. | BY SUE BRITT
