Minneapolis City Council VP Jamal Osman pushes back against Sheriff Bob Fletcher's comments on Somali youth violence
Earlier this month, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher prompted backlash when he said the Twin Cities has a Somali youth gang violence problem.
Fletcher played videos of what he said were Somali gun fights at a July 7 news conference and on his "Live on Patrol" Facebook page, which has over 140,000 followers.
"In the last two years, there have been 14 Somali homicides and one hundred-plus Somali shootings," Fletcher said at the press conference.
His statements led to criticism, including from Minneapolis City Council Vice President Jamal Osman.
"I think it's important to know that we do have a youth violence in our city and our state, you know? But for Sheriff Fletcher to single out one community is not the solution," Osman said.
Osman says there is a youth gun violence problem in the community that includes —but is not restricted to — the Somali community. He said the members of the Somali community that he has spoken to are upset by Fletcher's comments.
"They know there is an issue. And it's not just on the Somali community," he said, adding that many young people face a lack of opportunity and employment.
Osman has been vocal about a string of Minneapolis shootings this summer that have left some young people dead others badly hurt.
When WCCO asked what Osman thinks needs to be done, he replied by saying "I think what needs to be done, number one, parents need to know where their kid's about."
"Somali parents as well, and also we need to make sure that you know, young people that are coming up have that adult mentorship they need. They get the resource they need, the employment, early employment," Osman said.
Osman says he would like to put more police officers in troubled zones, something that has been hard with the chronically understaffed Minneapolis Police Department.
Another thing he would like to see is more unity between the City Council and the mayor.
"I'm actually happy to say that I'm the swing vote. But we need to be able to ... make sure that, hey, let's work out those differences. Let's not call out through the media. Let's sit down," Osman said.
