Star Tribune reports that largely driven by a surge in robberies, and assaults the Minneapolis Cedar-Riverside neighborhood has seen over 60% increase in violent crime in 2017. (EDIT: the previous version of this article used the wrong year)
This increase in crime comes at a time when Minneapolis is having trouble recruiting police officers.
Authorities put the blame on a violent rivalry between St. Paul and Minneapolis East African gangs. There has been no consensus on how to fight the increase in crime. Local businesses would like an increase in police on the street but some youth would like less police presence.
In the meantime, Star Tribune has documented how some local business owners are taking measures in their own hands by handing out free pizza and tea to keep the youth of the streets.
The rise of Somali gangs is not new to Minnesota. In 2009 CBS reported that somewhere between 400-500 Somali youth were active in gangs.
Some of the active gangs include Somali Hot Boyz, the Somali Mafia and Madhibaan with Attitude.
Many members of the Somali community have been frustrated by the lack of action against the gang violence.
“It was all gang activity, totally, 100 percent,” said Shukri Adan, a former Somali community organizer “The police don’t want to say that but everybody else knows that.”
Update 1/3/2019
Since publishing this article Minneapolis Police Department sent Alpha News updated crime data showing that since 2017 there has been a reduction of crime in Cedar-Riverside Neighborhood
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