Omaha City Council president calls to shift money from the Omaha Police Department

Omaha City Council president calls to shift money from the Omaha Police Department

CHRIS JERRAM ISMAKING AMENDMENTS TOTHE 2021 CITY BUDGET,AND MAYOR JEANSTOTHERT SAYS THOSECHANGES ARE DEADUPON ARRIVAL.GOOD EVENING, I'M MAYASAENZ IN FOR JENNIFERGRISWOLD.REPORTER KENTLUETZEN JOINS US WITHTHE LATEST - KENT.THANKS, MAYA.COUNCILMAN JERRAM ISPROPOSING TO SHIFTOVER 1% - ABOUT 2MILLION DOLLARS - OFTHE OMAHA POLICEDEPARTMENTS BUDGETTO OTHER RESOURCES.MAYOR STOTHERTRESPONDED TO THIS,REITERATING THAT SHEWILL NOT CUT ANYMONEY FROM THEPOLICE DEPARTMENT'SBUDGET.SHE WENT EVENFURTHER, ADDING IF THECITY COUNCIL PASSESTHIS AMENDMENT - SHEWOULD VETO IT.-NATS- CALLS TO DEFUNDTHE POLICE ARE ASTAPLE OF RECENTPROTESTS.-NATS- AND CITIESACROSS THE NATION AREREEVALUATING THEIROVERALL LAWENFORCEMENT BUDGET.BUT HERE IN OMAHA -MAYOR JEAN STOTHERT -AGAIN - SAYS SHE WILLNOT SUPPORT ANYPROPOSAL THATALLOCATES FUNDS AWAYFROM THE POLICEDEPARTMENT'S 161.3MILLION DOLLARBUDGET."IF YOU ARE TRYING TOMAINTAIN PUBLIC SAFETYAS YOUR NUMBER ONERESPONSIBILITY - THENSAYING 62 PERCENT OR63 PERCENT OF ENTIREGENERAL FUND THATGOES TO PUBLIC SAFETYIS MONEY WORTHSPENT." STOTHERT ADDSTHE OMAHA POLICEDEPARTMENT MAKES UPABOUT 37 PERCENT OFTHE OVERALL BUDGET,WITH AN ADDITONAL 25PERCENT GOINGTOWARDS THE FIREDEPARTMENT.SHE SENDS THISREMINDER AFTER OMAHACITY COUNCILPRESIDENT CHRISJERRAM MADE ANAMENDMENT TO THE 2021BUDGET, PROPOSING TOPULL ABOUT 2 MILLIONDOLLARS FROM O-P-DAND PLACE IT INTO JOBAND HEALTH SERVICES."HE HAD $500,000 GOINGTOWARDS HEARTLANDWORKFORCE SOLUTION,BUT ANOTHER $1.5MILLION GOING TOADDITIONAL CITY,COMMUNITYINVESTMENTS AND THEYWERE REALLYUNSPECIFIFED WHERETHAT $1.5 MILLIONWOULD GO." JERRAM'SAMENDMENT STATESMOST OF THE MONEYWOULD GO INTO MENTALHEALTH SERVICES.POLICE CHIEF TODDSCHMADERER SAYS THISAMENDMENT WOULD BEA REDUCTION OF ABOUT20 PERSONNEL,POSSIBLY EVEN FORCINGTHE CITY TO CLOSE THEFIFTH PRECINCT."CITIES ACROSS THECOUNTRY - WHEN THEYTAKE MONEY FROM THEPOLICE DEPARTMENT -THE FIRST THING THATHAPPENS IS CRIME GOESUP AND THAT WOULD BETHE CASE PRETTY MUCHANYWHERE BECAUSETHAT'S THE FORMULA."BOTH STOTHERT ANDSCHMADERER ADDEDTHAT CRIME IN OMAHAHAS MAINLY GONE DOWNIN THE LAST 8 YEARS,SOMETHING THEY SAYHAS ALLOWED THEM TOSHIFT SOME OF THEIRFOCUS ON PREVENTION."THERE IS APROGRESSION HERE ANDTO INTERRUPT THATPROGRESSION AND TOTAKE MONEY AWAY THATADDRESSESINTERVENTION,PREVENTION ANDIMMEDIATE NEEDS OF ACOMMUNITY AND PUT ITTOWARDS LONG TERMSOLUTION...YOU ARE GOING TO SEEINCREASES IN CRIME."MAYOR STOTHERT SAYSJERRAM'S AMENDMENT ISBACKWARDS - STATING ITGOES AGAINST PASTCOMMENTS THATJERRAM HAS MADEABOUT WANTING MOREPOLICE OFFICERS."TO CUT THE POLICEDEPARTMENT - RIGHTNOW AT THIS TIME -WOULD REALLY EFFECTALL THE CITIZEN OFOMAHA AND PUBLICSAFETY AT THE SAMETIME." IN OMAHA.KL.3NN.WE DID REACH OUT TOCOUNCILMAN JERRAM,AND ARE WAITING TOHEAR BACK.MAYOR JEAN STOTHERTMENTIONED SOMEPROTESTERS CALLS TODEFUND THE POLICE ANDADD MORE MONEY TOPUBLIC SCHOOLS.STOTHERT SAYS THATTHEY ARE ACTUALLY TWOSEPARATE FUNDS,SAYING 22 PERCENT OFPROPERTY TAXES GOESTO THE CITY AND 63PERCENT GOESTOWARDS PUBLICSCHOOLS.NEW TONIGHT - A 1 YEAROLD GIRL WAS ATTACKEDAT HER AUNTS HOUSENEAR 60TH AND ARBOR