Attorney General Eric Holder to lead discussion in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) --
It was his fifth stop on his big city tour to build trust between local police and minority communities.
The tour was generated by all the anger and bitterness triggered by the killings of black men at the hands of police officers in Missouri and New York City.
"People want to be safe, people want to have the sense that they are being treated fairly," said Holder.
On the panel Thursday, many members of law enforcement and community activists who have their hand on the pulse of the Philadelphia community.
Minister Rodney Muhammad of the NAACP says the entire justice system needs to be overhauled.
"If there's a question of police misconduct, there should be a special prosecutor - someone more objective. We don't believe the police can police themselves," said Muhammad.
Marcus Allen, the local head of Big Brothers and Big Sisters, says one of his first mentors was a police officer.
"Some of the community members I spoke with say they only see police get out of the car when there's a problem. We need to understand that the police are here to do a job. It's a tough job but the police also have to understand that they have to do a better job building a relationship with the community they are serving," said Allen.
As the official meeting went on, outside several demonstrators with complaints about alleged police use of excessive force.
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Attorney General Eric Holder to lead discussion in Philadelphia