Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara this week discussed the ongoing issues with youth crime in the city, highlighting the recent shooting murder in Dinkytown that also injured two others, and indicated that “East African kids” are coming into Minneapolis from “out of town” to wreak havoc.
O’Hara went on to comment, “They aren’t the poor kids from Minneapolis that are our residents, these are kids coming down in mommy’s Mercedes-Benz to Dinkytown, and they don’t know where they are,” O’Hara explained in an interview with WCCO’s Suzie Jones.
In addition to the recent homicide in Dinkytown, there has been a rash of other crimes and disturbances in the area adjacent to the University of Minnesota campus that have included assaults, robberies, multiple shootings, shots fired, and auto thefts.
Referencing the Dinkytown murder during Halloween revelry, O’Hara said, “The victim that was murdered was a juvenile. He was carrying a gun. He was from out of town. Another victim that was involved there, also out of town. And, you know, three guns recovered just from that scene.” The shooter was described in emergency dispatches at the time as a Somali male.
Chief O’Hara said in the interview, “Groups of kids, groups of East African kids that are coming from surrounding communities and not just one community, kind of all over the place,” are coming to the area armed and ready for a fight. “You know, we’ve seen both kids that come into like Dinkytown and some of these places that are bars. That are just not old enough to be out hanging out with the other kids.”
O’Hara said some of the activities they’re seeing are gang related, but other activities are being perpetrated by loose groups, unlike structured gang activity.
The City of Minneapolis has funded an organization called Somali Youth Link for amounts over $300,000 to support programs where Somali mothers and elders reportedly try to be visible in some of the areas where youth are causing problems. However, there’s been no apparent follow-up or reports made available on whether the efforts have been effective in stopping or curbing any of the violence being perpetrated in the community.
Chief O’Hara has pointed out in prior media comments and briefings that it’s often difficult to hold juveniles accountable in Hennepin County for a variety of reasons, including the difficulty in proving probable cause on specific perpetrators as well as prosecutorial and judicial leniency in the system.
Following the carjacking of Minneapolis City Council Member Jamal Osman by juveniles earlier this week, even he called for meaningful “consequences” for the “unacceptable” behavior and also called for parents to pay more attention to what their children are doing.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
