"Horrible tactics."

That's the long and short of one Omaha lawmaker's view of the police department's gang unit. 

During the final days of this year's legislative session—during a debate on a bill to ease gun restrictions—State Sen. Terrell McKinney took to the floor of the Unicameral and announced that the unit "operates as if it's a gang in itself."

McKinney indicating the unit racially targets people, "Black people have the highest arrest rate in the state, 10th highest in the nation,” said McKinney.

[View McKinney’s comments above]

NCN asked the Omaha Police Department if it has any comment on McKinney's accusations. OPD spokesman Lt. Neal Bonacci responding that OPD, "Will not weigh in on Senator McKinney's opinion. Thank you for the opportunity though.”

According to OPD's website the gang unit is much needed:

“Law enforcement officials believe that drug trafficking goes hand-in-hand with gang activity. Often drugs are distributed from a network of well-fortified houses and apartments. In addition to narcotics, some gangs are involved in terrorism, illegal arms and munitions dealings, robberies, and burglaries in the Omaha area. Gang members often use intimidation and fear of retaliation to discourage citizens from reporting illegal activity.”

Meanwhile, McKinney insists the gang unit has a "Lot of horrible tactics that they like to pull, especially in my community (the predominantly Black Legislative District 11 on Omaha's north side).”

NCN has asked McKinney to specify what those horrible tactics are, but we have not received a response.