City of Omaha, Nebraska -- 2022 Project Safe Neighborhoods

The Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) Nebraska Strategy is driven by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska.  PSN Nebraska strategies are implemented through partnerships, collaborations and de-confliction with local, state, and federal law enforcement, criminal justice and violence prevention agencies.  The Task Force consists of federal and local law enforcement, federal and local prosecutors, Nebraska Probation, and community-based organizations. 

The Nebraska Task Force unanimously elected to focus FY2023 funding in Omaha target districts to combat violent crime, illegal gun possession, and homicide.  Identified federal priorities (USAO & ATF) are:  firearms conspiracy, firearms used in crimes, straw purchasers, violent offenders, and addressing the proliferation of illegally held automatic weapons and personally manufactured firearms.

PSN Nebraska will implement a focused deterrence strategy to reduce gang and gun violence and illegal gun possession within the Omaha Northeast Precinct.  The strategy will model Operation Ceasefire.  PSN Nebraska will utilize funds to implement the following components: 1) Reduce violent gun and gang related crime through a comprehensive crime reduction strategy; 2) Utilize gang intelligence to strengthen enforcement operations and prevent gun and gang violence; 3) Increase federal and state prosecutions of violent armed criminals; 4) Conduct outreach and deploy community-based initiatives to combat crime; and 5) Conduct a proactive analysis of PSN program activities. 

The District of Nebraska will replicate the Operation Ceasefire model in Omaha through a three (3) phase approach.  The Omaha Working Group will rely on intelligence and analysis from the University of Nebraska, Omaha School of Criminology and Criminal Justice to identify high crime areas and chronic violent offenders.  Using a focused deterrence approach, gang and gun offenders will be put on notice regarding the swift and certain consequences for possession of illegal firearms.  Notification meetings will be held in collaboration with Nebraska State Probation.  Law enforcement and probation officers will conduct targeted overtime operations to incorporate pre-emptive and routine in-person visits of probationers, and directed patrol of hotspots within the targeted patrol districts to provide an immediate and intense response to violent behavior. 

Throughout the implementation and enforcement phases, the PSN Team will conduct firearms screening tests through the UNMC Human DNA lab, submit ballistic evidence through NIBIN, hold incident review meetings to coordinate prosecution of violent gun crimes, carry out an informative communications strategy, and conduct prevention activities in collaboration with grassroots community initiatives.