Somali Outlaws

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/minnesota/somali-gangs-evolution-feb-7-2011
The twin cities is not just home to the largest population of Hmong people but also Somali along with the home base to the Somali mafia. A gang which began in the early 1990's when Somali teens lacked the sense of belonging, like most racial gangs they began to protect each other but slowly became violent. The Somali mafia is different from other gangs because it isn't as organized as other gangs for ex.: there isn't a leader so if one gets captured, the gang doesn't fall apart. There also isn't any evidence of being jumped into the gang but rather invited by a friend but what really sets them apart is that they don't tag places, members don't get tattoos, and they don fight for territory. Instead the Somali mafia terrorizes their own community particularly the Cedar- Riverside area, they are mostly known for burglary's and robberies.Though the gang tends to lessen its crime activity after a major crimes (like killing someone) but recently have been accused of sex-trafficking with a 12yr old girl.
Gangs today don't care about anybody but their self's and it is shown in this article that members will do anything to achieve what they want beginning with being able to be part of something. At least in other gangs they confront each other for territory and commit crimes against each other but in the Somali mafia they don't care who it is, they will hurt them as if they had no boundary or cared for their people. Instead of protecting their territory from others they are harming their own community and they don't even seem to care as long as they get what they want. I find this so conflicting because they aren't a traditional (no jumping into the gang, gang rivalry or leader)gang but instead of protecting their own, they just care for their needs of drugs and alcohol. They even rely on trafficking little girls with no remorse in order to obtain some type of profit. This is the part that most struck me because sex-trafficking is a social problem that I have always been interested and have followed for many years. I couldn't belief that it's being originated in the twin cities and that they are beginning to spread throughout the country.