Now
A Few Clouds
82.0°
High
82°
Low
61°
Full Forecast

Coupon

Jobs

Cars

Homes

Rentals

Alerts

Subscribe
Home > News > Local
Bookmark Us   •   Make Us Your Homepage

Casady: Omaha-style violence could happen in Lincoln

Comments 27 comment(s)  
E-mail Story E-mail Story
Print Story Print Story
Share  Share
Text Size: 
Tools Sponsor

BY LORI PILGER / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Mar 13, 2008 - 12:10:27 am CDT

Tom Casady is sick and tired of hearing how great Omaha is and how Lincoln stinks.

“It just frustrates me to no end sometimes to hear that,” Lincoln’s chief of police told a crowd of 100 or so businessmen and women at the “Face the Chamber” lunch on Wednesday.

Casady said he sees the city as something of a warning “that people like you need to heed.”

Story Photo
Police Chief Tom Casady

He pointed to two newspaper articles: one about 31 people shot in 31 days in Omaha last July and one printed eight months earlier on the city installing speed bumps to slow down getaway cars from drive-by shootings.

That same July no one was shot in Lincoln. Seven were shot all last year. He can’t even imagine having such a problem with drive-bys that the strategy becomes speedbumps to make it harder for them to get away.

Lincoln and Omaha have their differences, he said. Yet it isn’t enough “to explain this dramatic, dramatic difference in violence.”

“But I am worried. And the reason I’m worried is because I think it could happen here.”

He points to an Omaha neighborhood near 30th and Lake to Ames, which looks perfectly fine during the day but becomes a magnet for drugs, gangs and prostitution at night.

“We have all of those issues here in our little city,” Casady said. “What I don’t want to happen is I don’t want those issues to become so great that they start to make a neighborhood in Lincoln reach a tipping point beyond which control is virtually impossible.”

He said he sees neighborhoods in Lincoln that are vulnerable, like the North Bottoms, Belmont and parts of University Place, Everett and Near South, and change can come quickly.

“That’s what I want all of us to work on remediating,” he said.

Starting Thursday a new mayoral aide, Jon Carlson, will coordinate a mayor’s initiative to do just that, Casady said. The police department will oversee it.

Mayor Chris Beutler unveiled the “Stronger Safer Neighborhoods” initiative last week, saying it will tackle deteriorating housing, falling home ownership rates and increased crime and drug abuse in Lincoln’s core neighborhoods.

Casady said the city has done it already in the Malone and Arnold Heights neighborhoods, and even the Haymarket before that.

He said the investment of both private and public capital — not just money, but time, resources, energy and thought — really can make a difference and has in Lincoln.

“It’s exactly what we need to do,” Casady said. “And we really can make a difference.”

Reach Lori Pilger at 473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.


$1 Sunday Delivery - Subscribe Today!
Local > Back to Top of Story

Post Your Comment

Standards and Rules
All posts to JournalStar.com are subject to our Terms and Standards.
Your posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Frequently asked questions about story commenting.
(optional)
   
Hide Comments Hide Comments   Newest First Newest First  
CSS wrote on March 13, 2008 2:40 am:
" Cue blog-post from Chief Casady in 5... 4.. (but seriously if you haven't seen it, it's definitely worth a look: http://lpd304.blogspot.com/) "
Mick J. wrote on March 13, 2008 6:22 am:
" GUN CONTROL!!! Why is EVERYONE so silent about gun control? I would feel safer walking in Baghdad than much of Omaha. We need to ban handguns and all other guns except for hunting guns(although I myself would never harm anything that has/had parents). Ban guns or just go back to like the old west, and everyone can carry six-shooters! "
WCG wrote on March 13, 2008 7:02 am:
" Unfortunately, University Place might be especially vulnerable now that we're losing our grocery store. And Hy-Vee refuses to let another grocery store move in. That whole area has had problems keeping businesses anyway, and this will make it much worse. There are lots of rental properties here, and without a grocery store, that's probably going to get worse, too. Are we deliberately creating a slum? Or do we just not care until things get as bad as the Near South neighborhood? "
what an admission wrote on March 13, 2008 7:51 am:
" Did I just read this right? Did the Chief finally admit that we may, just may, have a gang problem in Lincoln? Really? Did I also read that this may become more serious than the bars on O street and Husker football players at a party?

Wow. Glad to see that the Chief finally realizes what some of us in the near south have been seeing for a while. "
russell wrote on March 13, 2008 8:14 am:
" It takes time to solve a crime by tracking all the leads. Since there are not enough police man-hours to do that the so called minor crimes do not get solved which encourages more crime. The solution is to add more police but police have to be paid. To have a truly safe city in every neighborhood will require higher taxes. It is more efficient for everyone if we pay the taxes for an adequate police force and stop the spread of violence. "
sam wrote on March 13, 2008 8:24 am:
" To simplify crime control by wanting gun control is a wasted effort. You just need to look at Washington D.C to see that strict gun control does not work. What we need is crime control. Prosecute and imprison serial criminals who use any weapon to commit crimes. Provide for jobs and education for people instead of focusing on a tool and not the problem. When you look at Omaha's statistics for the people killed (any death is a tragedy) you find a high percentage are convicted felons who have been let out of prison either on parole or release. You will find that several of the people arrested are also convicted felons. We need to urge our County Attorneys to make sure federal charges for felon in possession of a firearm are pressed instead of just leaving it at the state level. Hopefully people will realize that crime control means more then just weapons. "
Arch Kearney wrote on March 13, 2008 9:43 am:
" "Omaha-style" violence? Could someone define what that is? Does it differ from other moderate sized city violence? The types of murder and mayhem taking place there is no different from any city with a certain amount of poverty and drugs. Both the Chief's comments and the manner in which this newspaper is playing the story have some very disturbing under-currents. It says more about how Lincoln sees itself... insulated, superior, and white... than anything about crime. "
Jason wrote on March 13, 2008 9:55 am:
" The core of all of these problems is illegal drugs. Period. Stop the flow of illegal drugs and most if not all of the thefts, shootings, robberies, even most abuse cases would be gone. "
JK wrote on March 13, 2008 9:58 am:
" I think Chief Cassady does a great job. "Why is everybody
so silent about gun control"? The same reason everybody
is silent about the high taxes and schools spending money
like water, ripping off the taxpayers for bonds to take
out a couple hundred trees then turn around and plant 85
more, and all the cosmetics they constantly do on the
schools. The same reason Lincoln won't let any business
or industry in. You won't let jobs in your going to
produce the unwanted!!! They are going to get money from
somewhere and usually with a gun pointed at you. There
has been a change in Lincoln since just 4 years ago when
I came here, everybody at night were walking, jogging,
walking their dogs at any hour of the evening and night.
I don't see that anymore, rarely. I lived in a city where nobody walks at night or day!! More money for taxes will only be hogged by the schools, the money they
are getting and spending is shameful!! "
Seriously wrote on March 13, 2008 10:05 am:
" If people would just take responsibility for their own actions and stop blaming the city, our civil servants, or inanimate objects like guns, and place the responsibility where it really belongs....on the people committing these crimes....that's the first step in making things better. Make sure you're doing the right thing, and if someone needs help, help them. The word NEIGHBORHOOD needs to be revisited again. We can do it, but it's going to be hard and a lot of work. "
ABR wrote on March 13, 2008 10:28 am:
" Here is a way to get the crime down...It will take some time, but it's worth it! Ladies.....Stop making babies with daddies that your not merried to. Men, stop making babies with ladies that you don't love. I am guessing that most of the crim commited in this country is by people who weren't raised to two parent families. "
arlo wrote on March 13, 2008 10:53 am:
" When a city official starts to warn about a possible problem that means the problem is already here. "
Sky is Falling wrote on March 13, 2008 10:56 am:
" We better hire more officers to take care of crack addicts, terrorists, and weapons of mass destruction. I am so glad that Cassidy is keeping Lincoln "safe". "
Jack Brass wrote on March 13, 2008 11:27 am:
" What a disingenuous title to the article. Lincoln's police force does a great job and is trying to be proactive in making sure that Lincoln stays safe. LJS seems to be interested in continuing their disinformation and inflaming conversation. I understand that it sells papers but please recognize your institutional and ethical responsibilities to the community. Lincoln does not need a local USA Today/NY Post. If you have concerns with the quality or personal responsibility that people on the police force take in regards to this community then I encourage you to contact them. I don't have any ties to the police department but I have had the opportunity to talk with them regarding my concerns and they have never been anything less than professional, responsible, and personally engaged in doing their best for Lincoln. "
From the City wrote on March 13, 2008 11:43 am:
" Lincoln finally realized that it has an urban population. Bravo! What the rest of the state (including Lincoln) doesn't realize is that Omaha has been dealing with this for a long time. There's not a three buzz-word sentence that can end the problems caused by a diversified population. It's the drugs. It's the guns. It's the poor. It's the minorities. These small town solutions simply won't work anymore. Congradulations Lincoln! You've graduated from the world's biggest town to a legitimate small city. Cheers! "
One Out In The Third wrote on March 13, 2008 11:53 am:
" "It" could happen in any town in Nebraska...or the world. "It" happens every day on our planet. We didn't need Sherlock Holmes to deduce that bit of news. It's time for the human race to "suck it up" and become human again...if we ever were. "
Gregg wrote on March 13, 2008 11:59 am:
" The threat of Omaha-type violence increasing in Lincoln is exactly why I jumped through all the hoops so I can legally carry a concealed handgun.
The history of gun control shows that gun control doesn't keep guns out of the wrong hands.

The police are not omni-present...good, law-abiding citizens need to realize they need to be able to defend themselves! Do NOT allow yourself to be a passive victim. "
Joe Q Public wrote on March 13, 2008 12:02 pm:
" The proliferation of gangs can be linked to draconian drug laws. With anti-drug zealots like Mr. Bruning involved in legislative activity to ramp up penalties and create new penalties for drugs currently not recognized I fully expect gang proliferation to be on the upswing. To advocate that drugs be seized and the couriers dispatched without charge seems reasonable; what drug kingpin or gangleader would continue to let a fallen courier continue moving drugs? I suspect the gang leaders and drug kingpins would be more harsh than any jail or federal institute, let them pay to take care of their own particular breed of loser so that taxpayers may be relieved fo the burden. "
Molecular Theory wrote on March 13, 2008 12:49 pm:
" I don't know how I feel about Casady. Most of the time I find myself agreeing with him. The police can only do so much...and let's face it, Lincoln has seen a slight increase in violent crime over the last decade or two. I think we need to be careful about blaming police for the ills of our society. I would argue that the primary reason we have seen neighborhoods deteriorate and crime increase is the fault of absentee landlords. These are the people who facilitate criminals by giving them refuge. Many dozens of these landlords reside in lincoln, and between them they own hundreds of properties. These people should be held responsible in some capacity. I am so sick of hearing about "desparate" landlords who have no choice but to rent to the dregs of society. Of course they have a choice. Do a background check, call references,and use your gut instict. Stop letting evil people move into this lovely city. "
log wrote on March 13, 2008 12:59 pm:
" One way to prevent the Omaha-style happenings here in
Lincoln is to have our police force concentrate more on the
curb side drug dealers. I'm not knocking our police force,
I think they do a wonderful job. However, my husband works
in the service industry and quite often is in the less than
ideal neighborhoods in our city. Twice last year he sat in
his truck and watched a drug deal while a police officer
drove by and stopped someone for speeding. I realize
speeding is not a good thing but perhaps more attention can
be put on the sidewalks instead of the roads. "
Lola wrote on March 13, 2008 4:01 pm:
" Money is at least part of the problem. When I moved back to Lincoln, I was stunned by the two things. One was the high percentage of rusty old cars. The other was the deterioration of many neighborhoods that 14 years earlier were safe, well-maintained and solidly middle class. Three decades of stagnating wages, the loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs and other factors beyond the mayor's control have taken a toll on Lincoln. One of the most important elections in this history of this country will happen in November. If you like the way things have been going, vote Republican. If you want the best possible America for the largest number of people, don't. National elections have local consequences. "
Community wrote on March 13, 2008 5:51 pm:
" How about some community investment then to help limit the impact of drugs, prostitution and vandalism in the near South? How about some low cost business loans to spruce up and help keep going the businesses along 11th street? How about some rent subsidies and maintenance loans for landowners and renters in this area and others in town, to prevent the degredation of real estate - and real people's lives? The market ain't enough, people! "
DJL wrote on March 13, 2008 7:03 pm:
" The police are more interested in pulling over otherwise law abiding citizens for speeding then they are worried about getting the gang bangers off the street and why? Because there is no money in busting a broke a*s gang banger, but they are going to get a couple hundred bucks out of that "criminal: that is doing 56 in a 45. "
Grundle wrote on March 14, 2008 11:23 am:
" Actually, DJL, the police are concerned about both dangers. If you don't believe that speed kills, all you have to do is look at the statistics...the faster ya go, the more likely you are to die in an accident. You're also more likely to take one of us (the rest of society) with you. However, the difference between speeders and gang members is that speeders are easier to catch because it's easier to PROVE that they are doing something wrong. The police can't prove that a gang member has done something wrong without enough evidence, and it's many times more difficult to gather evidence for a crime like robbery, murder, etc. than it is for a speeding ticket. It sounds as though you're advocating for profiling...which would lead to as many lawsuits as it would arrests. Maybe if more citizens would increase their vigilance over their neighborhood, we could catch more criminals in the act. "
Right On DJL wrote on March 14, 2008 11:25 am:
" Focus on the hard crimes that actually cause problems. But that would take away from the cash cow that is speeding tickets. God forbid the cops should have to deal with anything more difficult than writing a ticket. "
Profile wrote on March 14, 2008 1:38 pm:
" It is time to profile. It will save a lot of time and money... "
cop wrote on March 14, 2008 2:49 pm:
" Hey don't lump us all together. I'd rather be catching drug dealers and gang bangers but if I don't write enough tickets then I get yelled at by my supervisor (but there's no quota). "

Ads by Yahoo!