About 200 people met with Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher in Arden Hills Tuesday night after his comments about alleged Somali gang violence garnered backlash.
"Young adults need to talk to these kids, that there is a better way," the sheriff said Wednesday morning, saying he didn't allow cameras inside so that parents could speak freely.
Speaking to the WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar, Fletcher said a dozen gangs involving some 300 young people are responsible for more than a dozen murders and one-hundred shootings in recent years across the Twin Cities.
"Getting the parents on board and getting the community on board is really step one," Fletcher said.
He adds that the conversation was step one in addressing the problem, while he still anticipates a peak in crime in July and August.
"Of course we need to prepare for the State Fair, and a lot of these kids attend the state fair," Fletcher explains. "So, we'll be looking for a solution to make sure they don't cause problems there."
He also said he plans to host another meeting soon to continue the conversation after Somali community leaders asked the sheriff to discuss critical community issues directly with them - and not on social media.
His initial comments came from his YouTube series, "Live on Patrol," where he said there's a focus on a small number of Somali youth to help in their efforts to reduce crime.
"I worked closely with the Hmong community for 20 years on addressing the gang issues that popped up there in the late 80s and 90s," Fletcher told WCCO Wednesday. "I worked closely with the Black community on their issues."
