The Proactive Approach in Omaha, Nebraska
The District of Nebraska has developed a very comprehensive, proactive approach to address gun violence. The project employs and has refined a number of successful initiatives addressing Project Safe Neighborhood's five core elements.
PARTNERSHIPS:
A statewide Task Force was established which built an effective partnership with local, state, and federal criminal justice agencies, media and community partners. The task force provides oversight to the funding and collaborative effort of PSN.
The Omaha initiative has the following collaborative partners that participate on an active, regular basis in addressing the violent retaliatory shootings in the northeast and southeast areas of the city:
Omaha Police Department
United States Attorney's Office
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
Douglas County Attorney's Office
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Marshals Service
Weed and Seed
Nebraska Crime Commission
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha City Prosecutor
South/North Omaha Weed and Seed
Adult and Juvenile Probation and Parole
Omaha Public Schools
STRATEGIC PLAN:
The strategic plan includes a variety of components and projects to ensure a comprehensive effort.
(1) Enhanced federal prosecution - The USAO has made a concerted effort throughout the district to ensure violent offenders are removed from communities. This enhanced prosecution includes increased prosecution of violent organizations, heightened enforcement of all federal laws against illegal gun traffickers, and renewed aggressive enforcement of felons in possession of firearms. The number of federal gun indictments has increased 207% from 2001 to 2003 in the District of Nebraska.
(2) Case Screening Process through Gangs, Guns and Drugs subcommittee - In response to an increase in the number of gang and drug related shootings in Northeast Omaha, an ad-hoc group was formed to address the problem through enforcement and prosecution of targeted individuals. This group has now formally evolved into the Guns, Gangs and Drugssubcommittee. Monthly meetings are held at the USAO and updates are provided to the officers on the status of the previously indicted cases. Officers present new cases to the group and a determination is made as to each case whether to prosecute the case on the local, state or federal level. This guards against cases falling through the cracks. These meetings are attended by the Omaha Police Department's gang unit, homicide investigators, precinct officers, city/county prosecutors, federal investigative agencies, and all criminal and drug AUSA's from the USAO. This initiative was featured at two national PSN Research Partners/Coordinators Conferences.
(3) Enforcement Operations - The strategic plan includes proactive and preemptive law enforcement operations in Omaha that focus on violent gun offenders and groups. These operations include Offender Notification Meetings (zero tolerance message/prevention) Nightlight Operations (probation/parole and law enforcement compliance home visits), and Cease-fires (zero tolerance enforcement in gun hotspot areas).
(4) Incident Review Meetings - Strategies are developed for the Enforcement Operations during biweekly incident review team meetings in which recent gun violence events are discussed in detail. These meetings, hosted by the Omaha Police, are attended by a variety of criminal justice agencies.
(5) The Lincoln Police Department has now developed a proactive domestic violence gun violence initiative featuring nightlight visits and protection order enforcement.
TRAINING
The District of Nebraska recognizes the importance of training for criminal justice officials as an integral part of the PSN initiative. The U.S. Attorney met regionally across the district with prosecutors and law enforcement officers to acquaint them with the PSN initiative. The initiative was presented at the 2003 LECC statewide conference along with a full day of ATF training on Characteristics of the Armed Criminal. In conjunction with Weed and Seed, an ATF/IACP spnsored training was held to engage the community in the PSN process. The District of Nebraska will host a three-day ATF/IACP conference for prosecutors, investigators and line officers in June 2004.
OUTREACH
The media and community outreach component complements the strategic plan. Through PSN resources a marketing firm was engaged to deliver the "Hard Time for Gun Crime " message across a variety of mediums (print, radio, television, billboards, crime-stoppers, printed material, etc.), including a locally produced radio and televison public service announcement. This PSA, entitled "Hard Time for Gun Crime," received the 2003 Award of Excellence by the Public Relations Society of America-Nebraska Chapter.
The outreach component enlists communities and residents in the planning andconducting of positive community activities and events. The USAO and Weed and Seed sponsored two art contests through the local schools. The contest winners had their posters reproduced into anti-gun violence billboards and T-shirts for community events. The Victim-Witness Unit of the USAO mails "gun victim initiative" flyers to residents in neighborhoods in which an offender was arrested, sentenced, and convicted under PSN.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Omaha's proactive approach is carefully reviewed and evaluated by Criminal Justice Professors from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The evaluation team participates in every meeting and enforcement operation. These efforts help provide a clear understanding of PSN in Nebraska, through outcome and output evaluations.
In 2003 the Omaha Police Gang Suppression unit, the enforcement mainstay of PSN,seized more than 220 firearms, $200,000 in cash and more than 1300 felony and misdemeanor arrests for gun, gang and drug charges. The PSN efforts have resulted in a 12% decrease in gun violence incidents and a 21% decrease in shots fired reports in Omaha from 2002 to 2003. The results are even more dramatic in Northeast Omaha, the area of the most significant PSN focus, with a 24% reduction in gun violence incidents, and a 43% decrease in shots fired calls. Through this comprehensive, proactive approach we are making a difference in Nebraska.