OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says K-Fam consists primarily of refugees from Southeast Asia. Sheriff Aaron Hanson said deputies routinely encounter gang members with weapons who are committing serious felony crimes.
- We first covered Irvington's growing pains in 2024 when the Douglas County Sheriff's Office held a town hall meeting to discuss neighborhood challenges
- Three K-Fam members were arrested on January 10 on gun charges, highlighting the growing problem in the area.
- To address the K-Fam gang activity, the sheriff's office is dedicating special attention to the area and has a team focused on refugee relations.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A new gang called K-Fam has emerged in Irvington, an unincorporated area of northwest Douglas County, prompting increased law enforcement attention and community concerns about rising crime.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says K-Fam consists primarily of refugees from Southeast Asia. Sheriff Aaron Hanson said deputies routinely encounter gang members with weapons who are committing serious felony crimes.
Three K-Fam members were arrested on January 10 on gun charges, highlighting the growing problem in the area.
"Unfortunately, often times teenagers in the refugee community will create their own refugee gangs in order to protect themselves from local domestic street gangs, and unfortunately, that is what has occurred with the K-Fam gang," Sheriff Hanson said.
The arrests come as deputies receive more calls from neighbors reporting crime around their homes.
Patrick Jones, an Irvington neighbor, has witnessed significant changes during his nine years in the neighborhood.
"When I first moved there, the subdivision was very, very family oriented, and if you go through now, you see a lot of Drive 25 signs popping up because now it's turned into a speedway," Jones said.
Sheriff Hanson said a sizeable portion of the Irvington community consists of Asian refugee populations. To address the K-Fam gang activity, the sheriff's office is dedicating special attention to the area and has a team focused on refugee relations.
"Please reach out to the sheriff's office refugee liaison and we'll see if we can connect you with the services that that young person needs to put them on a more positive path," Sheriff Hanson said.
