Bismarck Police Department Dispels Gang Rumors | Video

Retha Colclasure | 12/9/2011

A lot of women in Bismarck may have been thinking twice about walking across a parking lot alone after a rumor that circulated throughout the city during the past week. The rumor talked about gangs of Somali men following women in parking lots to attack them.

Police say rumors like this catch your attention, because they`re scary. And this one does have a few kernels of truth in it.

Bismarck police say there are gang members in Bismarck, and they do pay attention to them. That`s one of the reasons officers give presentations about gang activity to organizations and businesses that request them.

"Our intent is always to inform people, make them more informed, not to create any misapprehension or any false fears," said Bismarck Police Chief Keith Witt.

But Witt says what isn`t true is that during one of those presentations recently an officer said there was organized gang activity in Bismarck.

"We have no information there is organized gang activity targeting people at random, females or males," he added.

Witt says that rumor has circulated through several communities in North Dakota recently, including Minot.

"It`s sometimes easy to fall into these rumors, especially if they`re worded or have little bits and pieces that appear to be legitimate," said Witt.

He says gangs aren`t a problem in Bismarck, but if they were, the department would make sure the public knew about the concern.

Witt said, "Anything like that is relatively newsworthy in Bismarck, so it would be reported that this happened."

He says if you hear of any rumors like this and want to know the truth, you can always look on the police department`s website, or call them to set things straight.

Police say the big crime concern they do have in Bismarck right now is thefts from motor vehicles and thefts of motor vehicles. In fact, there was one theft of a car reported last night, when someone left the car running, unlocked, with the keys inside.

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