the blog quebecois

CTV:

One day after a lead detective vented his frustration over what he deems lack of cooperation from witnesses in the city's latest homicide, friction continues between members of Edmonton's Somali community and officers trying to solve the case.

Bill Clark met with media on Sunday, arguing people inside the Papyrus Restaurant and Lounge saw who pulled the trigger in the early hours of New Year's Day, killing a 23-year-old man identified by friends as Muhammad Mahood Jama, and injuring another.

"We know the individual in hospital knows who shot him, he won't talk. We know there are other people inside who saw the suspect," he said. "Of all the people we interviewed, one person provides a suspect description - absolutely ludicrous."

Clark's anger stems in part from what he sees as a lack of trust between local Somalis and police after a substantial amount of resources were invested to improve the relationship. In the wake of dozens homicides that claimed young men from the community in the past several years, the city responded with several town hall meetings, sports tournaments, an African Centre and other efforts to elicit change. Edmonton also created 18 organizations to help facilitate integration.

"So when we hear people in the Somali community and these ethnic communities complaining about city administration it frustrates us," said Clark on Sunday.

But Ilham Ahmed, a board member of the Somalia Community Centre, argues police are wrong to pin all the responsibility on the community.

"Why do we have to look for our own criminals?" she asked. "What I see is negligence from the police community because when you are trained to investigate a murder you are not supposed to be make special - a criminal is a criminal. He doesn't have a face, he doesn't have a race."

City councillor Amarjeet Sohi is calling on witnesses to come forward in the New Year's day homicide, but also argues it's important to find out why there is resistance.

"If there is a demand from the community that these homicides, these murders, need to be solved, then people need to cooperate," he said. "On the other hand we need to figure out why people are not cooperating, why people feel scared. Is there not enough support from police? I think there is but people need to be made aware."

The province's immigration minister agrees with that sentiment, arguing members of the Somali community need to utilize supports already in existence.

"The resources are in place, all they have to do is reach out and use them," said Thomas Lukasik. "If there is an integration problem then we will focus on it. I think we are doing what we can. There has to be some impetus from the Somali community, willingness to want to integrate. I'm not sensing that there isn't."

Still, Ahmed argues there is a sense of isolation in the Somali community, and a sense of disconnect between her culture and the city at large. She says she struggles to feel at home, even 20 years after immigrating to the country.

"Nothing has been done for this community. We are left on our own," she said.

I can understand how much she misses the swift certainty of Somali justice, which boasts an incredible 100% clearance rate (Though, to be fair, so do approximately 90% of other African police forces. I can state this with some certainty, having lived in Africa two years more than most of my African-Canadian brothers.) when it comes to cases like this. Witness:

a) Police arrive on scene, determine that victim is a member of unpopular tribe/sect/clan;

b) Case closed!

or:

a) Police arrive on scene, determine that victim is a member of popular tribe/sect/clan;

b) Police round up members of unpopular tribe/sect/clan. Several of these will unfortuately expire during "questioning," too bad, so sad. Go out and get some replacements. Continue vigorous "investigations" until "confession." Kill unpopular tribe/sect/clan (or send to prison -- same result);

c) Case closed!

And that's the way we roll in (insert African nation here). [takes off, puts on sunglasses as closing music swells.]

[exeunt omnes]