BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Every two years, Native Omaha Days draws people from across the country back home to celebrate Omaha’s culture and community. Each year, organizers look for ways to make the event safer and better for everyone.
This year’s week-long celebration — known for highlighting the pride of being from Omaha — took a troubling turn. While some scuffles aren’t unusual, the festival also saw two shootings: one that injured seven people, and another that left one person dead.
Now, community members are reflecting on what went well, what could have been done differently, and what steps should be taken next to support North Omaha’s arts, culture, entertainment, and overall growth.
Leo Louis II attended a private post-event debrief earlier this week with the Empowerment Network, Omaha Police, and several other organizations.
“Some of the things that did work were great community-police relations. Some things that did work were community members being engaged with other community members — to where community members could almost police themselves,” Louis said. When asked what didn’t work, he pointed to security and activity planning. “Some locations were not monitored as closely as they should’ve been, and there just could have been more activities."
Organizers say the conversation isn’t over. A public debrief will be held Saturday at the Fort Omaha MCC campus from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
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