OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Omaha police say the number of homicides in 2024 was the lowest the city has seen in over 30 years, but juvenile crime is a top concern into 2025.
- There were 19 homicides in 2024, the lowest since 1990.
- Overall OPD says violent crime was down 21% in 2024.
- The department is still seeing a shortage of officers, down 98 officers.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"2024 was a historic year for the Omaha Police Department and the City of Omaha," said Chief Todd Schmaderer, Omaha Police Department.
There were 19 homicides in 2024, the lowest since 1990.
The department also saw a 100% homicide clearance rate for the second year in a row.
"We laid out a plan right after the pandemic, where we had a small spike in crime, we laid out a plan to get back to our lows, we are now there," Schmaderer said.
Overall OPD says violent crime was down 21% in 2024.
But one area of concern is juvenile crime.
“If there is a concern crime-wise that I have currently it is violent juvenile crime," Schmaderer said.
Schmaderer looks at recidivism when it comes to juvenile crime in our neighborhoods. He says it's very high.
"If you are a juvenile in our community and you commit a violent crime, you tend to do it again, and so, something is going on with our system, we need to get in there, piece together and work that out and I am confident we are on the right track,” Schmaderer said.
This past year we saw several shootings involving Omaha police officers, Chief Schmaderer required additional training this past fall and says officer-involved shootings are at an all-time high across the country.
“Probably the one reason for it is the guns on the street, we are seizing more guns than we ever have before, it is something that takes place on a nightly basis,” Schmaderer said.
Schmaderer also acknowledged the excessive speeding and dangerous driving we saw this past year.
“We need to maximize our resources on that so any type of overtime operation, any type of speeding hot spot is getting strong attention right now," Schmaderer said.
The department is still seeing a shortage of officers, down 98 officers. A recruit class will graduate next week and they hope to have two more classes. Schmaderer says getting enough applicants could make a strong dent in the current shortage.
