Edmonton Sun
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Criminologist Bill Pitt said an apology from acting Police Chief Dave Korol to Edmonton’s Somalian community on Friday wasn’t warranted since many witnesses haven’t fully cooperated with homicide detectives.
That includes the New Year’s Day slaying of Mohamud Jama, 23, at the Papyrus Lounge near 111 Street and 107 Avenue.
“This was unnecessary,” said Pitt.
“The apology smacks of political pandering. If anything, the Somalian community should apologize to the City of Edmonton for its lack of cooperation in all of these murders.”
Korol gave to city Somali-Canadian cultural organizations a letter expressing regrets over the interpretation of public remarks made by veteran homicide Det. Bill Clark following Jama’s death.
A visibly frustrated Clark told reporters that he was fed up over the lack of cooperation from key witnesses at the bar the night Jama was slain, including a 26-year-old-man who was also shot, but survived.
It’s believed Jama was gunned down in front of dozens of people celebrating the New Year.
Korol said the apology is on behalf of the Edmonton Police Service, not on behalf of Clark who “will be focusing his efforts on solving this homicide.”
“It was not the role of the police to go cap in hand on bent knee and apologize to this community,” said Pitt.
“It’s up to that community to step up. That community needs to stop projecting on to the police that it’s their fault on what’s going on in their community.”
During a news conference on Friday, Korol unveiled a poster highlighting 12 slayings of the Somali-Canadians in Edmonton since 2006 -- it’s message in bold reads “somebody out there knows.”
The posters will be distributed throughout various African organizations in city.
Source: Edmonton Sun