• Partnerships with parents, families, the faith community, community groups, businesses, foundations and neighborhoods throughout the city. Start with the home. Parents, families and communities are the critical links.
• Stronger relationship between community and police; encourage people to step forward to help prevent and solve crimes.
• Church and neighborhood outreach (Adopt-a-Block), parent and family outreach, mentoring.
• Education, jobs, job training and business development.
Education and youth development, including positive activities and alternatives.
• Intervention programs addressing truancy and dropout prevention.
• Intervention programs addressing gang intervention and street outreach, hospital intervention, emergency teams and crisis care.
• Enforcement support: removing illegal guns and encouraging people to come forward to help solve crimes.
• Programs and support for families affected by violence.
• Recovery programs and services for those returning from jail or prison.
A community action group's efforts to curb gun violence already have paid dividends, Omaha's police chief said Wednesday.
The time it takes between certain violent acts and the arrests of those responsible has been reduced because of community engagement, Chief Alex Hayes told a crowd of more than 100 people who attended the unveiling of Omaha 360, an effort of the Empowerment Network.
“Collaboration has helped us out tremendously,” Hayes said. People are calling in, he said, and officers are following up.
Omaha 360 calls on residents from across the city to work to end gun and gang violence.
The network's website, www.empoweromaha.com, lists several ways that people can get involved, including mentoring, working with neighborhood associations or churches and providing job opportunities for at-risk youth.
Willie Barney, the network's president and facilitator, said he often hears four questions when he's out in the community:
Ÿ Why doesn't somebody do something?
Ÿ Why don't community groups work together?
Ÿ When will the violence stop?
Ÿ How can I help?
Barney noted that the network has pulled in representatives from more than 100 local organizations to address violence and its causes.
As part of its anti-violence effort, a north Omaha task force has been meeting weekly since late 2008 to discuss violent events and strategies for preventing future ones. A similar group has begun to meet in South Omaha, and a west Omaha group is planned.
“There are a lot of people who do care,” Barney said.
Mayor Jim Suttle said violence affects every person in the community. He called on more adults to serve as mentors to youths who need guidance and direction.
He said he'll work to secure more money to fund summer jobs for youths above the 125 jobs he announced last week.
Suttle sees Omaha 360 as a vital tool that can help reduce violence.
“From Benson to Florence, from Dundee to South Omaha to Elkhorn and from Millard to north Omaha, we gain strength from a united purpose,” he said.
Contact the writer:
444-1109, bob.glissmann@owh.com
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