President Obama Convenes Meeting to Discuss Policing Issues in Black Communities

President Barack Obama, center, speaks during his meeting with elected officials, law enforcement officials and community and faith leaders in Washington, D.C., Dec. 1, 2014.
President Barack Obama, center, speaks during his meeting with elected officials, law enforcement officials and community and faith leaders in Washington, D.C., Dec. 1, 2014. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said Monday he wants to ensure the U.S. isn't building a "militarized culture" within police departments, while maintaining federal programs that provide the type of military-style equipment that were used to dispel racially charged protests in Ferguson, Missouri.

Instead, the president is asking Congress for funding to buy 50,000 body cameras to record events like the shooting death of an unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown, (Jr.) and to look for ways to build trust and confidence between police and minority communities nationwide.

(President Obama) announced the creation of a task force to study success stories and recommend ways the government can support accountability, transparency and trust in police.

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