Statement by U.S. Conference of Mayors Leaders on the Current Situation in Ferguson, the Administration's Response, and Further Needed Action

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Aug 26, 2014, 11:45 ET

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) President and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and other USCM leaders issued the following statement about the aftermath of the shooting in Ferguson, MO, and actions needed to prevent such situations in the future:

"America's mayors are thankful that the rioting and violence have subsided in Ferguson and hope residents can find a way forward to live and work together in peace. Challenges remain, but the funeral of Michael Brown represented not only the end of a precious life but also the beginning of greater understanding among all Americans.

"First and foremost, we want to express our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Michael Brown. While the details surrounding his death remain unclear, we know that a mother and father lost a son and Ferguson lost a young black man in a violent incident. We want to reiterate President Barack Obama's earlier sentiments calling for peace and an end to the violence in Ferguson. Violence and continued unrest will only further harm the fabric of this community.

"We commend President Obama for the leadership he has exercised and the balance he has tried to bring to the situation in Ferguson. We also commend the President for the actions of his Administration to assist in quelling the unrest and to thoroughly and independently investigate the tragic shooting that led to it. Attorney General Eric Holder's trip to Ferguson affirmed the Administration's strong commitment to a comprehensive and impartial investigation, to restoring order and trust to the community of Ferguson, and to providing support to the family of Michael Brown.

"The U.S. Conference of Mayors, in conjunction with its member mayors and their police chiefs will be identifying policy recommendations to address the root causes of the problems that contributed to the tragic events in Ferguson and to identify actions that can be taken in our cities and by our federal government to avoid such catastrophic consequences in the future. We will be working through our Criminal and Social Justice Committee, our Task Force of Mayors and Police Chiefs, and our recently-established My Brother's Keeper Task Force, which is intended to create ladders of opportunity for young men of color.

"Now more than ever, we need leadership in every community to ensure a tragedy such as this does not happen again."

-- Kevin Johnson, Mayor of Sacramento, USCM President

-- Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Mayor of Baltimore, USCM Vice President

-- Annise D. Parker, Mayor of Houston, USCM Criminal and Social Justice Committee Chair

-- William Bell, Mayor of Birmingham, USCM My Brother's Keeper Task Force Co-Chair

-- Michael A. Nutter, Mayor of Philadelphia, USCM Past President and My Brother's Keeper Task Force Co-Chair

-- Francis Slay, Mayor of St. Louis, USCM Advisory Board

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.

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SOURCE The U.S. Conference of Mayors