Sheriff Shows Think Tank How The Twin Cities Combats Violent Extremism
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The second part of an international summit held at the White House last week will take place here in Minneapolis on May 12 and 13.
Two members of the advance team were with Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek on Wednesday. Over a lunch at the Safari Restaurant in south Minneapolis, he showed them what leadership in the Twin Cities is doing to combat violent extremism.
"We have a proven track record of community outreach and community engagement, really building community resiliency and trust," Stanek said.
The sheriff said he wants to build upon that track record and engage more in the community to help combat the radicalization of its youth.
"This is a great message for al-Shabaab and others who want to radicalize our young men and women," Stanek said. "The fabric of this community is strong, as you saw members of this community renounced al-Shabaab, they have no place here."
Minneapolis has the attention of the nation.
Since 2007, dozens of young men from the Somali-American community have traveled or attempted to travel overseas to fight for a foreign extremist group.
At Wednesday's gathering were members of a national think tank. Their mission was to gather best practices used by the sheriff's office, and the police departments of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
They toured community centers, mosques and a Somali mall. They also spoke to Twin Cities Somalis about what they feel is needed to make living here more attractive.
Stanek left Minneapolis during the afternoon on a flight to Washington D.C., where he will testify in front of the House Homeland Security Committee on Thursday.
He will also stand with lawmakers who are pushing to keep the Department of Homeland Security from shutting down.