The looting and protests, and militarized police response to them, highlighted deep racial, economic and social divisions in the St. Louis area. Gov. Jay Nixon appointed 16 people to study the conditions behind the unrest and recommend ways to improve them.
The group – made up of protesters, municipal and police officials, community and business leaders – has met more than a dozen times. Committees have held additional meetings.
The commission has developed nearly 150 “calls to action.†Next it will decide which of those will be presented as priorities. A report is due to Nixon by Sept. 15.
— Stephen Deere
