More than nine months after the paramilitary response to anti-police protests sent shockwaves around the world from the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, Barack Obama is taking matters into his own hands. The president will ban the US government from funding certain types of military-style equipment to local police departments and sharply control other weapons and gear provided to law enforcement, White House officials announced on Monday.

The announcement coincides with the release of a report from a policing taskforce assembled by Obama in response to the turmoil in Ferguson. The so-called 21st Century Policing Task Force, made up of 12 members from academia and law enforcement, was asked to propose solutions to overcome racial bias in police operations and recommend ways to improve relations between agencies and the communities they serve.

The White House said 21 police agencies nationwide, including those of Camden, New Jersey, and nearby Philadelphia, have agreed to start putting out never-before-released data on citizen interactions like use of force, stops, citations and officer-involved shootings. Congressional reform on de-escalating militarized gear in local law enforcement has stalled.

Obama is due to speak on Monday about the report and his proposal from Camden, one of the most violent and poorest cities in the US. There, he is expected to highlight some of the initiatives the Camden County police department has undertaken to improve relations between police and communities, working especially hard to built trust between officers and minority residents.

"I'll highlight steps all cities can take to maintain trust between the brave law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line, and the communities they're sworn to serve and protect," Obama said in his weekly address on Saturday.