Twin Cities officials call for regional gang task force after string of shootings

Law enforcement agencies are calling for a regional task force to prevent gang violence and gun-related crimes across the Twin Cities metro area.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said his office has identified 300 gang members belonging to 12 gangs in the region.

The calls for a task force started after law enforcement said shootings that happened in Bloomington, Eden Prairie and Edina over the last four days were all gang-related. Law enforcement officials said the shootings stemmed from violence among Somali youth.

Fletcher said the violence is currently “Somali on Somali” and warned that gunfire can easily strike unintended victims. He said social media has been a catalyst for inciting the gang violence.

The FBI said its Twin Cities Safe Streets-Violent Gang Task Force has also seen connections between neighborhood disputes, conflicts that develop online and subsequent violence.

In a statement, FBI Minneapolis spokesperson Matthew Vogel said a relatively small number of organized groups are responsible for a significant share of violent crime in the Twin Cities. He said the FBI focuses on identifying the people driving the violence, regardless of how a group defines or organizes itself.

Vogel said coordinated, intelligence-driven investigations are particularly important for identifying violent offenders and preventing retaliatory violence.

Fletcher and other law enforcement officials, including Hennepin County Deputy Sheriff Dawanna Witt, referred to the gangs as "Somali American Gangs."

Fletcher also voiced his frustrations with Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and said she was not being "assertive" or "aggressive" enough when it came to prosecuting alleged gang members.

In a statement to MPR News, Hennepin County Attorney's office spokesperson Daniel Borgertpoepping said they will participate in any group that moves them toward "sustainable public safety."

"Our communities are looking for solutions, and we’re focused on our role in promoting public safety," Borgertpoepping said. "The way we approach prosecution of violent crime is consistent regardless of the race or ethnicity of those involved."

Bloomington Police chief Booker Hodges criticized charging policies for cases stemming from misdemeanor traffic stops and petty misdemeanor violations. Eden Prairie Police chief Matt Sackett echoed his remarks and said the policy decision has impacted the work they're doing.

Hodges said officers have found weapons and drugs during petty misdemeanor traffic stops, but the county attorney’s office has declined some of those cases. “She is declining those cases because of her policy of not wanting to charge people who are stopped for petty misdemeanor traffic stops,” Hodges said.

Many of the gang members are purchasing the guns legally and have permits to carry, according to Hodges. But Sackett said there are a lot who don't have permits that he wants to see charged with gun possession crimes.

"When we find guns out of these stops and can't charge them because it came out of an equipment violation, which is still a law in the books, that gets real tough, so we're neglecting the gun possession charges because we charge gun violence crimes," Milbern said.

When asked about gun laws, Witt said people's right to carry should be honored, but that not everyone is mature enough or mentally sound enough to have guns.

"I think it's ridiculous that you have to be 25 to rent a car, but you can be 18 and get a gun."

Fletcher said he'll meet next week with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and representatives from 40 other law enforcement agencies to discuss forming a regional task force.

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