PHILIP MARCELO, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Police departments across the country are bracing for large demonstrations when a grand jury decides whether to indict a white police officer who killed an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, in August.

Boston police leaders met this week to discuss possible preparations. Los Angeles police have been in touch with their counterparts in Missouri, who released their security plans for the indictment decision this week. And Las Vegas police joined community leaders in calling for restraint at a rally planned northwest of the casino strip.

For some cities, a decision in the racially charged case will inevitably reignite long-simmering debates over local police relations with minority communities. But big-city police departments stress they’re well-equipped to handle unruly crowds.