Local leaders are calling for special prosecutors to investigate police-involved deaths.

The news comes after a grand jury decided not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner. The 43-year-old's final moments on July 17 were caught on camera as he was placed under arrest for selling untaxed cigarettes.

In addition, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman sent a letter to the governor asking for the authority to investigate deaths by police, saying he sees why members of the public think that the system is unfair.

The letter reads in part, "The question in these difficult cases is not whether a local prosecutor, including one with understandably close ties to his or her fellow local law enforcement officers, is capable of setting aside any local biases. Rather, the question is whether there is public confidence that justice has been served."

If the governor issues the executive order, the attorney general's authority would only apply to new cases after an executive order is signed and last until the state legislature acts to permanently address the issue.