By Louis Krauss
Star Tribune
MINNEAPOLIS — Dozens of law enforcement leaders on Monday said their agencies will coordinate resources and information as part of a “data-driven policing approach” to combat recent gang violence that has rattled the Twin Cities suburbs.
Leaders of 46 law enforcement agencies announced that the ramped-up gang response will be led under the umbrella of the state’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, which is run by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
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The center will assist with sharing information between the partner agencies about gang-related crimes, and with determining what agency would best be suited to assist in each case as the nature of gangs have changed, BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said.
Unlike the more organized gangs of decades past that would concentrate their activities in specific areas, police say today’s gangs are highly mobile and fight over social media clout rather than over drugs or money.
“It’s a new and emergent issue in terms of how decentralized it is and impacting so many communities across the Twin Cities , and that requires an approach that’s unique compared to some of the things that we’ve done in the past,” he said.
As opposed to creating a new task force, “this hits the ground running right now” when it comes to collaboration between agencies and sharing resources, Evans said.
Since September, police say groups of loosely organized gangs and groups of Somali teenagers and young men are responsible for the chaotic shootings and brawls in suburbs. Officials’ decision to specifically warn of “Somali gangs” has drawn backlash and support, some worrying it will cast unfair negative aspersions upon an entire community for the actions of a few youths.
Evans, flanked by dozens of federal and local law enforcement groups, was among several leaders who emphasized that the violence perpetrated by these gangs represent a fragment of the larger population.
“Somali American gang and group violence is a problem and the Somali community is not the problem,” he said.
Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt added that she’s been appalled by the “hatred” she’s seen directed towards the Somali community after the surge in shootings by a small group of young adults.
“All the hatred that we’ve been seeing coming through social media channels, blaming entire communities for the actions of some, is absolutely ridiculous, unneeded, unnecessary,” Witt said.
The superintendent said that creating a task force, as originally pitched by some city mayors and police leaders, could still be considered in the future if problems with gang violence persist.
Christopher Dotson , Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office , said it’s just as important for agencies to communicate with community leaders as it is with each other.
“Community leaders know the problems facing their neighborhood, maybe better than anyone,” Dotson said. “Working with our community partners is not only the smart thing to do, it’s the right thing to do.”
After the meeting, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said he backs the new plan and the idea of increasing information sharing, considering how mobile gang members have been.
“It’s really key — let’s get all the information shared,” he said, later noting his office believes there are now 13 Somali gangs in the area.
To better address gangs, the Crime Gun Intelligence Center will be meeting weekly instead of every other week, Evans said.
The ATF has also restructured so that one of its enforcement groups in Minnesota is now exclusively focused on investigating gang-related violence, said St. Paul Field Division Special Agent in Charge Joe Persalis .
Somali gang violence has also become an issue in the leadup to the midterm elections, including races for governor, the U.S. Senate and attorney general, and a mention in a TV ad campaign by Republican gubernatorial candidate Lisa Demuth .
Officials who are raising alarms argue it’s necessary to discuss the reality of a small number of Somali children getting wrapped up in gangs and cliques that shoot against each other over social media beefs.
One of the fights forced parents and students to evacuate an Eden Prairie High School football game on Oct. 2 after an 18-year-old man allegedly shot and injured two people in a parking lot.
A few days later three men who were at the Eden Prairie fight were allegedly targeted in a shooting outside one of their homes in Bloomington where roughly 100 shots were fired. Police suspect the shooting may be retaliatory for the Eden Prairie fight.
Fletcher, who publicly warned about Somali gangs in July, noted that gang activity has quieted down since the Oct. 6 Bloomington shooting.
“There has been less taunting on social media than ever before,” Fletcher said.
Some departments at Monday’s event noted they have already increased their police presence to help prevent gang-related incidents. In Edina, the police department began placing more officers in city parks to prevent future shootings, according to Police Chief Todd Milburn .
The city has also begun hearing from Somali leaders who realize there is a problem, Milburn said.
“They agree with what we’re saying here in law enforcement; there’s recognition that there’s a core group of youth and young adults that are involved in this violent activity, and it has to stop,” he said.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement her office has been part of the recent official meetings to discuss group and gang violence and that they support the new law enforcement plan.
“Our office is pleased to be a partner in this framework to address the drivers of gun violence, especially the focus on using and sharing data,” Moriarty said.
With dozens of police chiefs and sheriffs standing behind him on Monday, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges urged any current or would-be gang members to stop committing violence.
Similar to others, he condemned anyone who would stigmatize the broader Somali community over the shootings. But he also emphasized that police need to get “in front of this” before shootings escalate and there are more injuries or deaths.
“Those of you who are doing this: We love y’all; we don’t want to see y’all dead,” Hodges said. “We don’t want to see you kill somebody else, and if we’ve got to put you in jail to make sure you don’t do that, that’s something that we’ll do.”
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