Holder, who has convened similar high-level meetings across the country in reaction to nationwide demonstrations that began in reaction to police slayings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Mo., New York and other cities, seeks input from officials on local practices that have been most successful in keeping order while serving the public.
Thursday’s meeting, which is not open to the public, is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and Courthouse at 1301 Clay St. in downtown Oakland.
Among the local leaders invited to the meeting are U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Melinda Haag, the U.S. Attorney for Northern California, according to the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper.
Holder, the first African American attorney general in U.S. history, put together the series of Building Community Trust meetings after being assigned by U.S. President Barack Obama to develop a plan to improve police-community relations.
Oakland was one of the cities hit by protests for weeks following the killing of unarmed 19-year-old Michael Brown on a Missouri street in August.
Demonstrations intensified after grand juries declined to indict the responsible police officers in each city where killings took place.
In Oakland, scores of protesters blocked freeway traffic and BART stations as well as breaking windows and looting downtown stores, the newspaper said.
Previous Building Community Trust sessions have been held in Atlanta, Cleveland, Memphis, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Holder also plans to visit to the Willie Mays Boys and Girls Club in San Francisco, which has earned the administration’s attention for its police mentoring of youth, the Chronicle said.
