Fayetteville, N.C., police are looking to the federal “collaborative reform” program to help review its practices and policies regarding use of force, a move that officials believe will help build trust between officers and the community, the Fayetteville Observer reports. The U.S. Department of Justice has agreed to work with the Fayetteville Police Department on the review, which will be done through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and funded by the Justice Department, said COPS director Ronald Davis.
“In the next six to eight months, we will work with top experts in the country and look at the Police Department’s use of force,” Davis said. A series of community meetings is planned to get feedback from city residents, Davis said, and a report will be issued covering ways in which the police department can improve. A similar review is being conducted in St. Louis County, Mo., where the shooting of teenager Michael Brown has fueled tensions between residents and police.