Somali leaders in Minnesota speak out against Sheriff Fletcher, say his caution against gangs ‘creates fear’
Avery Hill
Law enforcement officials have said the issue involves a small number of individuals rather than the broader Somali community.
After a deadly Independence Day weekend Ramsey County Minnesota Sheriff Bob Fletcher released a video on social media applying pressure on local leadership to act on the spurt of violence the area has been experiencing at the hands of Somali dominated gangs. The Sheriff outlined the concerns of his department and demanded long-term solutions.
Fletcher’s remarks drew criticism from the local Somali community who claimed that the sheriff’s words stoked fear.
“That kind of rhetoric is not only wrong, it is dangerous,” Minneapolis City Council Vice President Jamal Osman said in a statement. “It targets an entire community, creates fear, and makes it harder to build the trust we need to actually keep people safe.”
Osman then went on to say Fletcher words represented a pattern of behavior with the Sheriff.
“This is not the first time Sheriff Fletcher has singled out ethnic or racial communities during his time in office,” he said. “That pattern should concern all of us. It shows a troubling willingness to sow division, stoke racial resentment, and speak about communities without the cultural understanding and care that public leadership requires.”