Extremism Discussed At Somali Youth Summit
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Violent extremism, community policing and civil rights are among the issues being discussed at a Saturday summit for Somali youth in the Twin Cities.
"And if we were to ignore the idea that there were 20 people, or abouts, that left our area to go fight for a terrorist organization in East Africa would be a mistake," said Assistant St. Paul Police Chief Robert Thomasser.
He said there's deep concern within the Somali community regarding missing young men.
"So we have to talk about it. The Somali community wants to talk about it," said Thomasser.
Adjusting to American culture is one of the issues facing Somalis. Police relations is another issue.
"I think we've made a lot of progress in earning trust within the community so that they're willing to first talk about what's going on in their community," said Thomasser.
St. Paul Police and the Department of Homeland Security participated in the youth summit at the University of St. Thomas.
NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Bruce Hagevik Reports
