Police, Somalis pledge unity

Edmonton's Somalian community presented a united front with police Friday evening in their efforts to put a stop to the violence that has claimed the lives of 27 men of Somalian origin since 2005 in Alberta.

This, after what appeared to be frictionthis week, following the shooting death of another young Canadian-Somali man, Robleh Ali Mohammed, 23,last Sunday.

He wasthe second man from the Somalian community to be shot dead in the last month.

"There's no blame game, there's no finger-pointing," said Mahamed Accord, executive director of the Alberta Somali Community, adding that it goes beyond ethnic issues.

"If you really want to understand it, you have to admit there is a problem. There is a problem. We need help."

With police officers sitting at the same table during a news conference, Accord implored anyone who might know about the deaths to come forward.

Helpingpolice 'means we are helping ourselves'

"By helping the police, that means we are helping ourselves. And it's not only our community's job, it's everyone's job," Accord said. "When somebody as young as those who are lost from our community [dies] it's a loss to everyone."

"I believe that we've made great strides in our relationship with the community," said Staff Sgt. Dan Collins of the Edmonton Police Service. Police have received tips on theshooting through Crime Stoppers and from the community, he said, but no arrests have been made.

The grassroots of the community is behind the effort to help police, Accord said, but finding witnesses to come forward is more challenging.

"There's a segment of the people who may have not only a mistrust in the police, but they have many other motives not to come forward," he said. "Those are the people we want to work with them, in order to communicate with the police."