OMAHA - A recent meeting of the Omaha 360 anti-gun violence coalition began with a grim rundown from Omaha police precinct captains and the gang unit chief on the latest shootings — among them the slaying of a 22-year-old and critical wounding of two others.

The focus quickly turned on how to prevent the next shooting.

Galat Toang, an Omaha police gang specialist, spoke on recent efforts to reach out to gang members and other youths at risk of falling into gangs. Toang asked one boy if there was one thing in his life he wished he could change and was met with tears from the youth.

“There are a lot of kids who wish to be something different,” Toang said.

Omaha has greatly altered how they deal with street gangs and gun violence in the past decade.

All-new tactics have developed due to Omaha police officials working closely with affected communities in North and South Omaha. Some of which include a beefed-up gang specialty unit, shot detection technology that speeds response to shootings, enhanced rewards for tips that solve shootings, and street-level intervention.

The changes seem to have made a difference.

Shootings and homicides are down significantly in the past decade. In addition, those who commit violent crimes are far more likely to be caught and face justice.

The issue Omaha police and community members are trying to solve is one that goes back to the 1980s when Los Angeles-based street gangs arrived and began violently competing for the city's drug trade.

As a result, gun violence in Omaha hit a peak in July 2007 when there were 31 gun assaults in 31 days. Of these, arrests were made in only two.

In response, state lawmakers passed the 2009 law that stiffened penalties for crimes involving guns, including a number now carrying mandatory minimum sentences.

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