The key to avoiding civil unrest like that seen this past week in Ferguson, Missouri is early communication with the public and communities affected, says former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik.
Appearing Sunday on CNN's
"State of the Union," Kerik said the Ferguson Police Department within the first 24-36 hours should have released a basic synopsis of events in the August 9 police shooting death of Michael Brown Jr.
"In this case had they done that I think they would have been a lot better off," Kerik said.
That is only one of the lessons to be learned from the incident that led to riots Monday night after a grand jury declined to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting. Wilson is white, and Brown was black, sparking accusations of race being a factor in the shooting.
Police departments can also learn how to better respond to such protests in the future, Kerik said.
He noted there was a peaceful protest soon after the shooting gained wide public notice, yet the police came out "too aggressively" with tanks and riot gear. In the aftermath of the grand jury's decision "when it was an outright riot, I think they could have been a little more aggressive," Kerik said.
"The key is a dialogue with the community," he said.
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