Ahead of a town hall meeting Tuesday night, Ferguson's mayor said the aftermath of the shooting death of Michael Brown helped open the eyes of city officials to the town's racial divide. "I think what it showed was ... even though I always knew again that African-Americans had experiences that were frustrating, definitely frustrating, many of that never bubbled to the surface. So I think what really opened my eyes was how significant that can be for many people," Mayor James Knowles said. Police Chief Thomas Jackson echoed the mayor's sentiment. "The things that have bubbled up since the shooting have really made us sit up and take notice and realize that there is a lot more work to be done," Jackson said.
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Ferguson mayor: Shooting aftermath revealed the racial divide in the city
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Police chief says he'll continue to walk and talk with protesters
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Protests erupted after Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson's fatal shooting of unarmed Michael Brown
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City is holding a town hall that is closed to media Tuesday night
One of those things that need to be done is community outreach, Jackson said; it's one of the steps that the police department and the local government need to take for @placeholder to be more cohesive.