Mayor Lloyd Winnecke is calling for a more understanding relationship between Evansville Police and the African American community.
He will meet with the Concerned Clergy of Evansville and Police Chief Billy Bolin again in the coming days to identify ways the Police can improve their interactions.
"We have to stop 'picking sides,'" Winnecke said. "We need to take a deep breath as a community, step back, and have some civil dialogue."
The Mayor said he has “100 percent confidence” in Bolin and this effort.
The Concerned Clergy of Evansville is a group of African American ministers who met with Winnecke a week before Monday's City Council meeting.
Nazarene Baptist Church’s Pastor, Larry Rascoe, was one of them. Rascoe said a camera worn on officers’ jackets is one necessary step toward solving the problem.
“This is not blasting the entire Police department, but there are some individuals that definitely need a tool that will help them take a second thought on how they related to the public,” Rascoe said.
Rascoe leads a workshop for young men in his congregation on proper protocol for interacting with police officers.
WNIN has made attempts to contact Evansville Police and will update this story as more information becomes available.