November 22, 2011 – The City Council approved a new gun ordinance on a 5-2 vote requiring hand gun registration, which is consistent with State and Federal laws and encourages the voluntary registration of weapons. “I am pleased with today’s decision by the City Council because anything we can do to keep illegal guns off Omaha streets will help reduce violent crime and promote public safety,” said Mayor Suttle. The Omaha Police Department was in favor of this ordinance and was present at the City Council meeting this afternoon.
The City Council also heard testimony in favor of the Community Oriented Police Services (COPS) Grant today. The 2.6 million dollar grant acquired by the Mayor’s office allows police to hire an additional 10 officers to protect Omaha residents for three years with the caveat that the City maintains the staffing levels for a year after the grant expires.
“Budget cuts put the police department in a position of having to balance resources,” said Omaha Police Chief Alex Hayes. “Our focus has been on reducing violent crime and we have seen results this year with a 6% drop in Omaha’s violent crime rate. However, for us to continue making a difference in gun and gang violence, while still getting a handle on property crimes, more officers on the street would greatly benefit the community as a whole.”
Staffing levels at the police department decreased due to attrition and budgetary constraints imposed by the City Council in the 2011 budget. Currently the Omaha Police Department has 778 sworn officers, 9 short of the 2011 budgeted strength. In 2012, the budgeted strength was increased to nearly 789 because of financial resources made available through the Suttle administration’s annexation of several subdivisions in Omaha.
“Additional officers will provide better overall coverage of the city,” said Mayor Suttle. “Our police department will be better equipped to focus on areas of our community that have been most affected by gun and gang crimes. This will also further our opportunities for community outreach which is imperative to further reducing crime.”
