there was a decision that came out today

by a grand jury not to indict police officers

who had interacted with an individual named Eric Garner

in New York City.

All of which was caught on videotape

and speaks to the larger issues that we've been talking about

now for the last week, the last month, the last year,

and sadly for decades.

And that is the concern on the part of too many

minority communities that law enforcement is not working

with them and dealing with them in a fair way.

And there's going to be -- I'm sure additional

statements by law enforcement.

My tradition is not to remark on cases where there may be

still be an investigation.

But I want everybody to understand that this week

in the wake of Ferguson, we initiated a task force

whose job it is to come back to me with specific recommendations

about how we strengthen the relationship between

law enforcement and communities of color,

and minority communities that feel that bias is taking place.

That we are going to take specific steps to improve

the training and the work with state and local governments

when it comes to policing in communities of color.

That we are going to be scrupulous in investigating

cases where we are concerned about the impartiality

and accountability that's taking place.

And as I said when I met with folks both from Ferguson,

and law enforcement, and clergy, and civil rights activists;

I said this is an issue we've been dealing with for too long

and it's time for us to make more progress than we've made.

And I'm not interested in talk.

I'm interested in action.

And I am absolutely committed as President of the United States

to making sure that we have a country in which

everybody believes in the core principle

that we're equal under the law.

(applause)

So, I just got off the phone with my

Attorney General Eric Holder.

He will have more specific comments about the

case in New York.

But I want everybody to know here as well as everybody

who may be viewing my remarks here today

-- we are not going to let up until we see a strengthening

of the trust and a strengthening of the accountability

that exists between our communities

and our law enforcement.

And I say that as somebody who believes that law enforcement

has an incredibly difficult job.

That every man or women in uniform are putting their lives

at risk to protect us.

That they have the right to come home just like we do

from our jobs.

That there's real crime out there that they've

got to tackle day in, day out.

But that they're only going to be able to do their job

effectively if everybody has confidence in the system.

And right now unfortunately we are seeing too many instances

where people just do not have confidence

that folks are being treated fairly.

And in some cases those may be misperceptions but in some cases

that's a reality.

And it is incumbent about all of us as American's,

regardless of race, region, faith; that we recognize

this is an American problem not just a black problem

or a brown problem or a Native American problem

this is an American problem.

When anybody in this country is not being treated equally

under the law, that's a problem.

And it's my job as President

to help solve it.

(applause)