Sheriff Fletcher on Somali gang violence – done pretending we don’t have a problem

After a holiday weekend in which the metro area experienced multiple shootings and at least one murder involving Somali gang members, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher posted a video on his popular Live on Patrol YouTube channel where he called out the violence being perpetrated by Somali youth gangs.

Sheriff Fletcher was appropriately direct and went out of his way to focus on those carrying out the violence rather than the entire Somali community.

“We are not indicting the whole community, just the 1-3% causing the problems.”

“The reason we are here today, is because we care about these kids.”

“Before you can start fixing the problem, first you have to identify what it is.”

Sheriff Fletcher and a few of his investigators and Somali community members went on to explain that over the past two years there has been a notable increase in Somali gun related violence, resulting in 14 murders and over 100 shootings in the metro area. Many of the shootings have happened during high profile events such as graduation ceremonies or the Minnesota State Fair.

The group identified 12 Somali gangs in operation with a total of about 300 gang members. The gang violence is uncharacteristically not associated with drug dealing but rather feuds centering around status and disrespect for one another.

Sheriff Fletcher announced a Somali community meeting that his office was hosting at their Arden Hills Patrol HQ on July 21^st at 6 pm.  The meeting is intended to find ways that law enforcement and the Somali community can come together and put an end to the violence.

The message was exactly what our law enforcement leaders should be delivering – especially in its clarity regarding who the offenders are. Adding in voices from the Somali community brought credibility to the message for the intended audience. 

Despite the clarity of messaging, some have chosen to criticize Sheriff Fletcher.  Minneapolis City Councilman Jamal Osman issued a statement critical of Sheriff Fletcher.

“I was dismayed and deeply disappointed to hear the recent comments made by Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher on his social media show, Live on Patrol. His remarks painted Somali youth as the source of most, if not all, community violence, and went even further by attempting to connect local youth violence to terrorist organizations abroad.

That kind of rhetoric is not only wrong — it is dangerous. It targets an entire community, creates fear, and makes it harder to build the trust we need to actually keep people safe.”

It’s clear that Councilman Osman either didn’t watch Sheriff Fletcher’s full message or is simply ignoring it for political gain. Either way, his comments are inaccurate and seem focused on deflecting blame rather than fixing a serious issue playing out in his very community.

Serious leaders will recognize the value in Sheriff Fletcher’s comments and support his efforts to address the issue head-on.