Metro Transit police make history with entire shift made up of Somali-American officers

Thursday May 23, 2019

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History was made this past weekend when, for the first time, Metro Transit police had a shift made up entirely of Somali-American officers.

"We took calls, we took care of people just like we do every day and that to me was an amazing experience," officer Abdiasis Mohamed said.

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Mohamed has been an officer since 2018. He moved to Minnesota when he was eight.
Of the 120 full-time officers who work for Metro Transit, seven - including Mohamed - are Somali-American.

"We were all just sitting there, and we kind of just came together and it wasn't planned at all," he said.
Jaylani Hussein of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said, given the state's large Somali population, the significance of having an entire shift made up of Somali-American officers helps break down barriers.

"They're more likely to engage in a calm and collective way, and anxiety may be reduced (to) know that somebody that looks like you is actually on the other side of the call," he said.

Mohamed said he and his fellow Somali-American officers are here to serve and protect everyone.

And by doing so, they're also making history along the way.

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