Thursday, May 25, 2006
By RANDY NAVAROLI Columbus and Franklin County law enforcement officials and Somali community leaders have reached an agreement on how to begin improving their strained relationship. The key, they say, is improved communications, which they hope will occur through a community intervention team (CIT) that will focus on sharing ideas and addressing each side’s concerns. Relations between the police and the growing Somali community, which by some estimates now numbers as many as 30,000, deteriorated when Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy Jason Evans shot and killed a mentally disturbed Somali man in December 2005. The man was allegedly brandishing a six-inch knife at the time of the shooting. Local Somali immigrants reacted angrily to the shooting death of 23-year-old Nasar Abdi and marched on Columbus City Hall, demanding that someone be held accountable for the death. A grand jury later refused to indict Evans. In January, the Columbus Community Relations Commission held the first in a series of six occasionally tense meetings between Somali leaders and local law enforcement officials, including representatives from the Columbus Division of Police, the Franklin County Sheriff’s office, the FBI and police officers from Clinton and Mifflin townships. The resulting report and agreement were released May 17. “The Somalis and law enforcement are extremely happy with the agreement,” said Napoleon Bell, deputy director of the Columbus Community Relations Commission. “We think they have addressed many of the issues that have caused strife and tension between them in the past.” Somali community leaders agreed to provide law enforcement with an emergency contact list of people who can be summoned quickly to intercede during a crisis situation, such as the one that led to Abdi’s death. They have also agreed to translate law enforcement material and information into their native language and distribute it throughout neighborhoods where many Somali immigrants live. In addition, they will promote participation in law enforcement training seminars, including one scheduled for June 8 that will be entitled “The ABCs of the CPD and CFD.” The meeting will address specific needs of the Somali community. It will begin at 6 p.m. at the St. Stephens Community House, 1500 E. 17th Ave. Both sides will also launch an effort to entice qualified Somalis to pursue careers in law enforcement and firefighting. Somali community leaders are trying to get Somalis involved in police ride-along programs and the city Police Youth Explorers program. “That could be the best way to recruit Somalis to the police force, to get them interested in law enforcement when they are young,” said Bell. Jeffrey Blackwell, Zone 1 commander for the Columbus Division of Police, said it is impossible to put a timeline on when the first Somali might join the police force. Blackwell was involved in the negotiations with Somali leaders. “We need to make a concerted effort to get Somalis on the police force,” he said. “We want our police officers to reflect the community it serves.” As part of the CIT agreement, police officials agreed to establish a Somali advisory committee and take part in cultural diversity classes. They will also conduct quarterly meeting to discuss safety and security matters important to the Somali community. Blackwell said the advisory committee will continually assess its policies and make adjustments as necessary. “As the fabric of our community changes, our officers need to understand the differences in the people and their cultures,” said Blackwell, who oversees CPD officers in the section of Columbus with the largest number of Somalis. “We’re committed to changing how we do business. As we get to know each other, we’ll build trust. From our perspective, this agreement has to work.” Three calls each to the Somali Community Association of Ohio and the Somali Womens Association were not returned by press time. Source: This Week, May 25, 2006
ThisWeek Staff Writer
