Friday, January 07, 2011
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Detective Bill Clark says he has received over 300 emails of support after comments he made about a weekend homicide investigation. |
On Sunday, Detective Bill Clark said only one person in a restaurant full of people gave police a description of a suspect who fatally shot a 23-year-old Somali man and wounded another. He went on to say that without help, police should just move onto other cases.
The comments outraged leaders of the Somali community, who have sent a letter to police asking the detective to retract his statements, but Clark tells Global News he has received over 300 emails of support from the public, and feels his remarks were justified.
In a letter to the deputy chief of the Edmonton police service, Mohamad Accord said the community is frustrated with the city for not providing enough resources to, in his words "integrate the community into the Canadian mainstream".
According to Councillor Amarjeet Sohi who says since 2007, the city has given more than $145,000 in grants to 17 organizations that help the Somali community, adding the city is doing ongoing work with Somali leaders.
Other levels of government have supplied cash too. In December the federal government launched the Somali Youth Skills Project, which will help people in the community find employment. And in the spring of 2010, the province gave a $200,000 grant to reduce and prevent crime in the Somali community.
It's important to note though, some parents in the somali community feel they have plenty of support.
Source: Global BC