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St. Paul Chief Testifies At Somali Recruitment Hearing

WASHINGTON (WCCO) -- St Paul's top cop told a congressional committee in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday that a youth outreach program is making inroads in the Somali community.

St. Paul Police Chief Tom Smith was among those testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee on the recruitment of young Somalis by al-Shabab. He said a police mentor group is having success.

"We find new examples every day where Somali-American youth confide in their police officer-mentors about their family, their school and their own personal problems and issues," he told the hearing.

"They also speak candidly about their own concerns for friends and family who may be on a troubled path or may be among those missing," Smith said.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Steve Murphy Reports

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More than 20 young men are believed to have traveled from Minnesota to Somalia to join the terror group.

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