From: White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs [LocalGovernment@who.eop.

gov]
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 9:36 PM
To: White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
CC: Patel, Rohan; Alcantara, Elias
Subject: FOLLOW-UP: White House Conference Call with Attorney General Loretta Lynch at
5:00 PM ET
Dear Local Leaders,
Thank you for joining todays update call with Attorney General Lynch and Senior Advisor
Valerie Jarrett. As follow-up to todays call, below please find video and text from the
Presidents remarks on the situation in Baltimore today, along with official White House
tweets, and statements from Attorney General Lynch for your reference.
Thank you again for your continued efforts and leadership on this issue.

See below for:

Video of the Presidents remarks on the situation today from the Rose Garden.
A new blog post: President Obama on Freddie Grays Death: "This is Not New, and
We Shouldnt Pretend that Its New."
A Readout of Justice Department Officials' Visit in Baltimore
A statement by Attorney General Lynch on the situation in Baltimore
Official WH Tweets for your reference:
Watch President Obama speak on the situation in Baltimore.
http://t.co/T3t6ptxmaZ
The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 28, 2015
Dont just pay attention to these communities when a CVS burns President
Obama on the situation in Baltimore http://t.co/08a4vtoXe1
The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 28, 2015
This is not new, and we shouldnt pretend that its new. President Obama
addressing the situation in Baltimore http://t.co/Fr3Aa6ZrrP
The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 28, 2015
WHITE HOUSE BLOG POST

President Obama on Freddie Grays Death: "This is Not New,

and We Shouldnt Pretend that Its New."
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/04/28/president-obama-freddie-gray-s-death-not-new-and-we-shouldn-tpretend-it-s-new
April 28, 2015

Watch President Obama speak on the situation in Baltimore.http://t.co/T3t6ptxmaZ

The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 28, 2015
On April 12, Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old native of Baltimore, was arrested by the citys police. He died a week later.
The Department of Justice is now investigating the events that led to his death and today, President Obama offered his
thoughts to the family and friends of Freddie Gray who are appropriately looking for answers while at the same time making
clear there is no excuse for violence.
He noted that events in Baltimore called attention to the urgent need throughout the country to build trust between communities

and their police.

We have some soul-searching to do. This is not new. Its been going on for decades. President
Obama
This is not new, and we shouldnt pretend that its new. President Obama addressing the situation in
Baltimore http://t.co/Fr3Aa6ZrrP
The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 28, 2015
This has been going on for a long time, the President said. This is not new, and we shouldnt pretend that its new. The good
news is that perhaps theres some newfound awareness, because of social media and video cameras and so forth, that there
are problems and challenges when it comes to how policing and our laws are applied in certain communities and we have to
pay attention to it.

If our society really wanted to solve the problem, we could -- its just that it would require
everybody saying, This is important, this is significant. President Obama
Dont just pay attention to these communities when a CVS burns President Obama on the situation in
Baltimore http://t.co/08a4vtoXe1
The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 28, 2015
Every American has role to play in tackling this longstanding challenge. "We don't just pay attention to these communities
when a CVS burns, and we dont just pay attention when a young man gets shot or has his spine snapped," the President said.
We should be paying attention all the time because we consider those kids our kids, and we think theyre important and that
they shouldnt be living in poverty and violence.
That is why President Obama is committed to promoting policies that would make a difference on unemployment, poverty, and
other serious social challenges that continue to afflict too many communities across the country.
The President is also working with police departments and community leaders to implement recommendations from his Task
Force on 21st Century Policing to help build trust between communities and law enforcement while maintaining public safety.
From adopting new technologies to build trust to prioritizing de-escalation and avoiding provocative tactics to enhancing officer
safety and wellness, these recommendations can begin to build a culture of trust that is needed to promote safety and justice in
every community and for every individual, no matter who they are.
Learn more about the Presidents Task Force on Community Policing here. Then dig deeper into the recommendations of the
report here.
Related Topics: Civil Rights, Violence Prevention

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Readout of Justice Department Officials' Visit in Baltimore
The Department of Justice released the following readout of meetings attended by senior department officials to address
the ongoing situation in Baltimore:
At the direction of Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the head of the Civil Rights Division, Vanita Gupta, the director of
the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office, Ron Davis, and the head of the Community Relations Services
(CRS) office, Grande Lum, participated in several meetings today with city leadership, law enforcement, faith leaders,
young people and members of the community to discuss the unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray.
Department officials reiterated their offer to the city to provide federal resources, such as technical assistance to the
Baltimore Police Department. Department officials also reaffirmed their commitment to expeditiously and thoroughly
carryout the ongoing, independent civil rights investigation into the death of Mr. Gray.
The COPS office assured law enforcement and the community members that the Collaborative Reform Review into the
Baltimore Police Department will continue and that the department plans to announce their initial report in the coming
weeks. COPS encouraged faith leaders and members of the community who attended the meetings to participate in the

Collaborative Reform Initiative and share their stories and provide information that may be useful to the team leading
the review. Department officials heard from residents about concerns regarding the Baltimore Police Department and
the lack of trust that they feel exists between the police and community.
CRS shared that their conciliators have been on the ground in Baltimore since Thursday and will continue to bring in
staff as necessary to help open lines of communication within the community and between the community and local
officials.
The department officials thanked community members that have been engaged in constructive discussions,
discouraging violence and encouraging peaceful demonstrations. The department officials met with the officer who is
still hospitalized after being injured during the violence on Monday afternoon and reiterated that officer safety must
remain a priority. Department officials also met with the family of Mr. Gray and expressed their condolences on behalf
of the department.
The department officials provided continuous updates throughout the day to Attorney General Lynch and her closest
advisors.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 27, 2015
Statement by Attorney General Lynch on the Situation in Baltimore
Attorney General Loretta Lynch released the following statement on the situation in Baltimore, Maryland:
I condemn the senseless acts of violence by some individuals in Baltimore that have resulted in harm to law
enforcement officers, destruction of property and a shattering of the peace in the city of Baltimore. Those who commit
violent actions, ostensibly in protest of the death of Freddie Gray, do a disservice to his family, to his loved ones, and to
legitimate peaceful protestors who are working to improve their community for all its residents.
The Department of Justice stands ready to provide any assistance that might be helpful. The Civil Rights Division and
the FBI have an ongoing, independent criminal civil rights investigation into the tragic death of Mr. Gray. We will
continue our careful and deliberate examination of the facts in the coming days and weeks. The departments Office of
Community Oriented Policing Services has also been fully engaged in a collaborative review of the Baltimore City Police
Department. The departments Community Relations Service has already been on the ground, and they are sending
additional resources as they continue to work with all parties to reduce tensions and promote the safety of the
community. And in the coming days, Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division, and Ronald Davis, Director of
Community Oriented Policing Services, will be traveling to Baltimore to meet with faith and community leaders, as well
as city officials.
As our investigative process continues, I strongly urge every member of the Baltimore community to adhere to the
principles of nonviolence. In the days ahead, I intend to work with leaders throughout Baltimore to ensure that we can
protect the security and civil rights of all residents. And I will bring the full resources of the Department of Justice to
bear in protecting those under threat, investigating wrongdoing, and securing an end to violence.

From: White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 3:41 PM
To: White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
Subject: TODAY: White House Conference Call with Attorney General Loretta Lynch at
5:00 PM ET

Dear Local Elected Leader,

You are cordially invited to join a conference call with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and

Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, today, Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at 5:00
PM ET. During the call, Administration officials will discuss the Administrations 21 st
Century Policing Task Force efforts and provide an update on the current situation in
Baltimore, MD.
CALL

DETAILS
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Time: 5:00 PM ET
RSVP: To receive the dial-in information, please register for the call by clicking:
http://ems6.intellor.com?p=600614&do=register&t=1

Note, this call is off the record and not for press purposes. We look forward to speaking
with you later today.
Sincerely,
Rohan Patel
Deputy Director
White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs