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St. Louis County Police Urged to Strengthen Protest Planning

Jason Rojas
/
Flickr

The U.S. Department of Justice says St. Louis County police need to strengthen policies for handling protests and demonstrations, improve training on diversity and community policing, and do a better job of hiring and promoting minorities and women.

A department report released Friday is the third and final review stemming from the unrest in Ferguson that followed the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. The department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services looked at the St. Louis County department at the request of Chief Jon Belmar.

A message seeking comment from Belmar has not been returned.

Brown, who was black and unarmed, was killed Aug. 9, 2014, during a confrontation with white Ferguson officer Darren Wilson, prompting months of unrest in the St. Louis suburb.

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