The City Council in Ferguson, Missouri, voted unanimously Tuesday to accept a federal plan to reform law enforcement, more than a year and a half after a white officer shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, NBC News reported.
"We understand the importance of today's vote," Mayor James Knowles said after the 6-0 vote. "Our number one goal is to not only move the city but the entire region forward. We have heard the concerns of the community, and we're looking forward to working with our citizens."
The government of Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis, and the U.S. Justice Department tentatively agreed to a plan last month, but the City Council rejected it over fears that it could bankrupt the town of about 21,000 people.
In a statement Tuesday, the city said the vote "avoids the time and cost of litigating the DOJ's claims and allows the City to continue its focus to ensure constitutional policing and court practices."
