Sgt. Mohamed Abdullahi and Const. Abdiwahab Ali are in Toronto for four days to see how police are interacting with the city’s Somali community and to share what they know.
Somali-Canadians have long said they need help dealing with a gang problem and need more officers of Somali origin on the streets. They’ve also accused police of unfairly targeting their community.
Toronto Police are also working with Positive Change Toronto, an advocacy group that formed to bring down gun violence in North Etobicoke, particularly in the Dixon Rd. and Queen’s Plate Dr. areas.
“When we formed in 2012, that was the summer of the gun,” explained PCT spokesman Idil Burale. “There were way too many funerals. Something had to change. In the past two years, we’ve seen people call these police officers directly, rather than call the police. They were coming forward with information more. A lot of young men in our community are interested in becoming police officers.”
