Why the Justice Department Chose These 6 Cities for Its Police-Community Relations Pilot

The latest incident in Ferguson, Missouri, in which a gunman shot two policemen right outside the city's police department amid protests, showed that distrust between the police and the community remains severe, despite the resignation of Police Chief Tom Jackson.

On Thursday, Attorney General Eric Holder condemned the shootings, calling the attacker a "damn punk." In the same press conference, Holder announced that six cities have been chosen as pilot sites for the National Initiative for building Community Trust and Justice—a program with the mission to strengthen relations between the police and the communities they serve. The list includes Birmingham, Alabama; Stockton, California; Gary, Indiana; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Fort Worth, Texas.