Gary among cities chosen for project on curbing racial bias

WASHINGTON (AP) - Gary, Indiana, is one of six cities that have been chosen for a federal pilot program aimed at reducing racial bias and improving relationships between law enforcement and communities.

The other cities are Fort Worth, Texas; Stockton, California; Birmingham, Alabama; Minneapolis, Minnesota and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Attorney General Eric Holder identified the cities on Thursday, six months after announcing the initiative in the aftermath of the Ferguson, Missouri, police shooting.

As part of the project, researchers will study data and conduct interviews in pilot communities to develop plans for curbing bias and strategies for building trust between residents and law enforcement.

The Justice Department last week issued a scathing report about Ferguson's criminal justice system, calling out a slew of discriminatory policing practices.