Press Barred From #Ferguson Meeting at Clinton Library

The ‘most transparent administration in history’ is set to preside over (yet another) a meeting regarding Ferguson, Missouri that the press is barred from attending.

clinton library little rock
Clinton Library in Little Rock

A meeting this week at the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas of mayors, police chiefs and the Justice Department will focus on community policing and the situation in Ferguson, Missouri regarding the shooting of unarmed 18 year old black robber Michael Brown by white police officer Darren Wilson following a confrontation shortly after Brown robbed a convenience store and the riotous protests following Brown’s death.

Former President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Eric Holder are scheduled to address the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting at the Clinton Library on October 8th. While Clinton’s and Holder’s speeches will be open to the press, the balance of the two day session on Ferguson and community policing will be closed to the press.

As The Gateway Pundit reported last month, the Obama Justice Department barred press coverage of Ferguson town hall meetings that the DOJ took over.

A USCM press release states the conference is being held to mark the 20th anniversary of Clinton’s COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services Program) program.

“The United States Conference of Mayors announced today that mayors and police chiefs will gather in Little Rock, AR at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center on October 8 and 9. The two-day gathering will mark the 20th Anniversary of the date in 1994 when President Clinton established the Community Oriented Policing Services Program (COPS), which put 100,000 additional officers on the beat and contributed to an historic drop in crime. The Meeting is being conducted with the support of the COPS Office at the Justice Department, and the meeting agenda will include a discussion of lessons to be learned from the events that occurred in Ferguson, MO on August 9.

“President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Eric Holder will address the mayors and police chiefs during this important meeting on the morning of Wednesday, October 8TH. IMPORTANT NOTE: While this morning session is OPEN TO PRESS COVERAGE, the balance of the meeting is CLOSED TO PRESS. Mayors and Police Chiefs will hold a PRESS AVAILABILITY at 12 NOON at the Clinton Library for interested media.”

According to the USCM press release, acting Associate Attorney General Stuart Delery will lead a meeting of mayors and their police chiefs (38 and 33, respectively) in closed door sessions on community policing post-Ferguson.

“Under the leadership of USCM President Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and hosted by Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, mayors and police chiefs will join COPS Office Director Ronald L. Davis and Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart Delery to identify specific strategies to resolve resident frustrations, reduce gun violence and strengthen the relationship between communities and their police force to make cities safer. Following the meeting, the nation’s mayors will present a plan of action to the Justice Department that can be used to improve community-police relationships and help prevent situations like the one in Ferguson from occurring.”

With the Ferguson/ community policing part of the conference lasting two days, October 8th and 9th (the third day the 10th is on trade),the Obama administration will have a day-and-a-half behind closed doors following the speeches by Clinton and Holder to pressure the mayors and police chiefs to police their communities to Obama’s standards.

The Obama administration is investigating the Ferguson police department, and Officer Wilson, for alleged civil rights violations in the Brown shooting and overall law enforcement in the community.

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Kristinn Taylor has contributed to The Gateway Pundit for over ten years. Mr. Taylor previously wrote for Breitbart, worked for Judicial Watch and was co-leader of the D.C. Chapter of FreeRepublic.com. He studied journalism in high school, visited the Newseum and once met David Brinkley.

You can email Kristinn Taylor here, and read more of Kristinn Taylor's articles here.

 

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