The Oakland City Council plans to consider recommendations for improving relations between residents and the police that came out of a first-of-its kind meeting designed to open a dialogue among city officials, law enforcement and community groups.
The Oakland Tribune reports that U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee testified at the day-long special session of the council held Saturday and called for eliminating the use of secret grand juries to investigate fatal shootings by police officers.
Other topics included racial profiling and whether the city should adopt new use-of-force rules for officers.
Council President Lynette Gibson McElhaney convened the forum after both Oakland and nearby Berkeley had several disruptive protests over the decisions by grand juries in New York and Missouri not to indict white officers in the shooting deaths of unarmed black men.
The council plans to review the recommendations on Feb. 3.
