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| Obama calls for more police body cameras as part of $263m reform package | |
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| Barack Obama is calling for a $263m spending package to reform police departments across the country and ensure 50,000 more officers wear body cameras in the wake of the police shooting of an unarmed black man in Ferguson, which led to months of protests across the country. | Barack Obama is calling for a $263m spending package to reform police departments across the country and ensure 50,000 more officers wear body cameras in the wake of the police shooting of an unarmed black man in Ferguson, which led to months of protests across the country. |
| The president is expected to announce his request for federal funds later on Monday during a top-level summit to deal with the fallout from riots in the suburb of St Louis a week ago. However, Obama has decided against cancelling the multimillion-dollar programs that transfer equipment from the Pentagon to local police departments, which critics said had led to the militarisation of police. | The president is expected to announce his request for federal funds later on Monday during a top-level summit to deal with the fallout from riots in the suburb of St Louis a week ago. However, Obama has decided against cancelling the multimillion-dollar programs that transfer equipment from the Pentagon to local police departments, which critics said had led to the militarisation of police. |
| The grand jury decision last week not to indict white police officer Darren Wilson over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, prompted a night of intense rioting and looting in Ferguson and triggered protests across the country. | The grand jury decision last week not to indict white police officer Darren Wilson over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, prompted a night of intense rioting and looting in Ferguson and triggered protests across the country. |
| The Associated Press, said the three-year, $263 million spending package would increase police use of body-worn cameras, expand training for law enforcement and add more resources for police department reform. The package includes $75m for the small, lapel-mounted cameras to record police officers on the job. | The Associated Press, said the three-year, $263 million spending package would increase police use of body-worn cameras, expand training for law enforcement and add more resources for police department reform. The package includes $75m for the small, lapel-mounted cameras to record police officers on the job. |
| Brown family lawyers had said a campaign to make body-worn cameras mandatory, possibly through legislation, would be their focus in the weeks and months ahead. | Brown family lawyers had said a campaign to make body-worn cameras mandatory, possibly through legislation, would be their focus in the weeks and months ahead. |
| The White House also launched a taskforce, led by Philadelphia police commissioner Charles Ramsey and former assistant attorney general Laurie Robinson, to how to build trust with local communities. | The White House also launched a taskforce, led by Philadelphia police commissioner Charles Ramsey and former assistant attorney general Laurie Robinson, to how to build trust with local communities. |
| White House press secretary Josh Earnest confirmed the president had still not decided whether to visit Ferguson. | White House press secretary Josh Earnest confirmed the president had still not decided whether to visit Ferguson. |
| Earnest said Obama had decided to improve rather than end the controversial federal programs that allow police to obtain military-style equipment. | Earnest said Obama had decided to improve rather than end the controversial federal programs that allow police to obtain military-style equipment. |
| “We’ve found that in many cases these programs serve a useful purpose,” he said, pointing to the use of military equipment in the aftermath of the Boston bombings in 2013. “What is needed, however, is much greater consistency in the oversight of these programs.” | “We’ve found that in many cases these programs serve a useful purpose,” he said, pointing to the use of military equipment in the aftermath of the Boston bombings in 2013. “What is needed, however, is much greater consistency in the oversight of these programs.” |
| Obama was quick to condemn the violence in Missouri, but acknowledged that wider complaints over discriminatory policing were valid and not unique to Ferguson. He said: “Communities of colour aren’t just making these problems up.” | Obama was quick to condemn the violence in Missouri, but acknowledged that wider complaints over discriminatory policing were valid and not unique to Ferguson. He said: “Communities of colour aren’t just making these problems up.” |
| A White House official said: “Recent events in Ferguson, Missouri and around the country have shone a spotlight on the importance of strong, collaborative relationships between local police and the communities they protect and serve. | A White House official said: “Recent events in Ferguson, Missouri and around the country have shone a spotlight on the importance of strong, collaborative relationships between local police and the communities they protect and serve. |
| “As the country has witnessed, disintegration of trust between law enforcement agencies and the people they protect and serve can destabilise communities, undermine the legitimacy of the criminal justice system, undermine public safety, create resentment in local communities, and make the job of delivering police services less safe and more difficult.” | “As the country has witnessed, disintegration of trust between law enforcement agencies and the people they protect and serve can destabilise communities, undermine the legitimacy of the criminal justice system, undermine public safety, create resentment in local communities, and make the job of delivering police services less safe and more difficult.” |
| The president’s response to one of the worst bouts of race-related rioting in a generation has been criticised by some for playing down the scale of racial bias in the criminal justice system. | The president’s response to one of the worst bouts of race-related rioting in a generation has been criticised by some for playing down the scale of racial bias in the criminal justice system. |
| Obama walked a fine line as protests raged in Ferguson, arguing that “the law too often feels as if it is being applied in discriminatory fashion”, but qualifying his remarks by saying racial bias was neither widespread or “the norm”. | Obama walked a fine line as protests raged in Ferguson, arguing that “the law too often feels as if it is being applied in discriminatory fashion”, but qualifying his remarks by saying racial bias was neither widespread or “the norm”. |
| The president’s afternoon of back-to-back meetings is intended to overcome the criticism of his leadership and to move forward policy initiatives begun in August, when protests over the killing of Brown, 18, started. | The president’s afternoon of back-to-back meetings is intended to overcome the criticism of his leadership and to move forward policy initiatives begun in August, when protests over the killing of Brown, 18, started. |
| Those protests, most intense in August but which continued unabated in the months leading up to the grand jury decision, were met with a forceful response from heavily armed police using military-style weaponry as well as teargas and rubber bullets. | Those protests, most intense in August but which continued unabated in the months leading up to the grand jury decision, were met with a forceful response from heavily armed police using military-style weaponry as well as teargas and rubber bullets. |
| Senators and members of Obama’s cabinet, including his attorney general, Eric Holder, expressed concern that the transfer of equipment from the Pentagon could lead to militarised police forces. | Senators and members of Obama’s cabinet, including his attorney general, Eric Holder, expressed concern that the transfer of equipment from the Pentagon could lead to militarised police forces. |
| Two weeks after Brown was shot, with protests continuing, Obama ordered a review of the programs, which transfer military equipment to local police departments. Teams of officers armed with assault weapons, dressed in military-style fatigues, were once again seen driving around Ferguson in armoured personnel carriers after last week’s protests turned violent, although the overall response by law enforcement was more calibrated. | Two weeks after Brown was shot, with protests continuing, Obama ordered a review of the programs, which transfer military equipment to local police departments. Teams of officers armed with assault weapons, dressed in military-style fatigues, were once again seen driving around Ferguson in armoured personnel carriers after last week’s protests turned violent, although the overall response by law enforcement was more calibrated. |
| A White House official said the cabinet-level meeting – the first of three meetings Obama is hosting on Monday – would “discuss” the review order by the president “and actions the administration is taking”. | A White House official said the cabinet-level meeting – the first of three meetings Obama is hosting on Monday – would “discuss” the review order by the president “and actions the administration is taking”. |
| The president will immediately after meet young civil rights leaders from across the country to discuss “broader challenges we still face as a nation, including the mistrust between law enforcement and communities of colour”, the official added. | The president will immediately after meet young civil rights leaders from across the country to discuss “broader challenges we still face as a nation, including the mistrust between law enforcement and communities of colour”, the official added. |
| Obama will host a third, separate meeting at the White House with elected officials, community, civil rights and faith leaders, and law enforcement officials from across the country. | Obama will host a third, separate meeting at the White House with elected officials, community, civil rights and faith leaders, and law enforcement officials from across the country. |