Gov. Jay Nixon of Missouri called on Thursday for improved training for law enforcement officers in his state, including more education on “fair and impartial policing” and helping mentally ill residents.

Mr. Nixon’s statement came three days before the anniversary of Michael Brown’s fatal shooting by a Ferguson, Mo., police officer. The death of Mr. Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, was the impetus for protests in Ferguson and far beyond that called for a broad re-examination of how police officers patrol minority neighborhoods and use of force.

“Clearly, events in Missouri and nationwide sparked this national dialogue about these issues, and really focused a lot on strengthening the relationship with cops and their communities,” Mr. Nixon said in an interview. “And a lot of the decisions we’re making going forward are based on that.”

A highly critical report released in March by the Justice Department found that the Ferguson Police Department had engaged in repeated constitutional violations that could be corrected only by changing the city’s approach to law enforcement, retraining its employees and establishing new oversight.