Sacramento Religious Leaders React To Ferguson Decision

9 A.M. -- Local religious leaders say what's happening in Ferguson could happen anywhere, including the Sacramento area.

Kevin Brown is the Pastor of Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Sacramento. He says one way to avoid tension would be to establish a more diverse police force in Sacramento:

"If there was a level of parity within the police force, it would create a level of sensitivity but also a level of insight into each unique culture that’s represented here in Sacramento," says Brown.

Brown also says it would help if African Americans voted more often.

Last night, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and other community leaders gathered at a church in Oak Park. At the long-scheduled meeting, Johnson called for the community to stand in solidarity following the Missouri grand jury's decision.

Pastor Kevin Brown will join Beth Ruyak on Insight in the 9:00 hour for a discussion of the events in Ferguson.

8: 27 A.M. -- In Sacramento, leaders and law enforcement attended a community event in Oak Park as the grand jury's decision was announced.

During the meeting, which was televised in part by KCRA, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson called members of the City Council on stage with him to "stand in solidarity as a city."

"We're here today being proactive," says Johnson. "These are elected officials here that have sacrificed in a real way to make sure that this community does not reflect what took place in Ferguson."

The meeting took place at St. Paul Baptist Church and was one in a series of community events.

Meanwhile in Oakland, more than 40 people have been arrested for hurling bottles, breaking windows and setting fires. They were protesting a grand jury's decision not to indict a white police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man in Ferguson.

No serious injuries were reported in overnight demonstrations, but freeways were blocked and businesses and a police car were spray-painted.

-Capital Public Radio Staff