By Cheril Lee
Omaha, NE – Omaha Police Chief Alex Hayes was the guest speaker at last week's Omaha Press Club Noon forum.
Chief Hayes was named Police Chief on December 22nd, 2009. At the press club, he talked about how the city is doing in terms of crime prevention as well as ways in which citizens and community organizations may play a major role in stopping the violence. Chief Hayes says kids who are out committing violent crimes and getting into trouble typically don't have anyone at home or they have parents who are struggling; working 2 to 3 jobs just to survive.
Chief Hayes says in comparison to other cities, Omaha is not that violent a place to live, "When I talk to people from other cities they are really quite astonished at how low our numbers are, particularly as it relates to the homicide numbers we have every year based on our population. We have roughly 30 homicides a year. Kansas City has anywhere from 80-100, so that perception out there that Omaha's a violent place is not the reality."
KIOS will air the Omaha Press Club Educational Forum in its entirety on Monday, September 13th at 12:00 p.m.