Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, who resigned from the force this weekend, will not receive any type of severance package, Mayor James W. Knowles III announced Sunday in a press conference carried on the cable news networks.
“It’s best that we continue to move on as a community,” Knowles told reporters a day after Wilson, 28, submitted his resignation, effective immediately.
Wilson, who is white, had been on paid administrative leave since he fatally shot unarmed African-American Michael Brown, 18, during a confrontation on Aug. 9.
Knowles said Wilson, a six-year veteran of the police department, was earning about $45,000 a year, and would not get any additional pay or benefits after leaving the department.
A St. Louis County grand jury decided Monday not to indict Wilson in Brown’s death.
The decision sparked days of protests and unrest in Ferguson and other cities including New York, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, where protesters swarmed LAPD headquarters.
Knowles also announced new efforts on Sunday to diversify Ferguson’s police department. “We are committed to rebuilding our city,” he said.
Among the changes — the city will fund police academy scholarships to increase minority representation on the city’s police force, which is made up almost entirely of white officers in the predominantly black city.
Knowles added that Ferguson will increase its stipend for officers living in the city, and will start a police explorer program in schools to improve relations between officers and residents.
Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson also attended Sunday’s press conference and said he would remain on the job, despite calls for him to step down.
“My focus has been on safety and security of citizens,” Jackson said. “I report to the leadership of Ferguson. I’m concerned about the city. I will not resign.”