Cammy Watkins
HOUSING
Q1: Do you believe housing is a right?
Yes
Q2: Should TIF continue to be used for market rate housing construction?
Not unless it is a mixed income development to create housing units that aim to eliminate concentrated areas of poverty. We should also stop using TIF for commercial developments that aren't mixed use properties and/or which are aimed at supporting small Minority or other marginalized community run businesses.
Q3: What percentage of TIF expenditures should be spent on affordable housing?
I would like to work with Housing Advocates to determine what the most appropriate percentage would be. With new data we know the shortage of units in 2020 needed to meet our housing issues is around 74k units, but this number is ever changing and to stay on top of this issue we have to set plans in real time and have the autonomy to adjust as needed.
Q4: Should non-compliant landlords face criminal charges rather than citations?
Depending on the infraction, yes. Issues that intentionally, negatively impact tenant safety or health should absolutely be criminal offences.
Q5: In an effort to halt the negative and displacing effects of gentrification, should homes and residential rental properties in areas of clustered commercial and residential TIF funded projects be subject to higher tax valuations based on proximity to improvements rather than having real improvements to the property?
This is something I will need to do more research on to determine if the proposal will have the appropriate outcome that we are seeking. There are tools we can use to stop displacement and I am absolutely open to all ideas which won't have a negative residual affect on the residents that need access to safe and affordable housing or our ability to get more affordable housing choice in Omaha. I believe one of the tools we also need to investigate is Universal Housing Vouchers which have had great success in other countries.
POLICING
Section A
Q1 : Should the historically Mayoral appointed position of Chief of Police continue to remain appointed or should the position become an elected one?
I don't know if I have a strong option on this. Knowing that our current City elections are done in a way that limits voter engagement I could see this not being equitably decided upon if determined by a vote based on our current City Election processes.
Q2: For the first time in Omaha municipal elections the labor union for OPD, the Omaha Police Officers Association, as well as the current Police Chief Todd Schmaderer have endorsed candidates in the Mayoral and City Council elections. Do political endorsements by OPOA and the Chief open the department to further scrutiny for bias from the community? Can fairness be expected with the politicization of the police department?
OPOA has always had the ability to endorse candidates to my understanding. However, the Police Chief taking a position does pose a conflict of interest in my opinion which does create the potential for a barrier to collaboration if the elected Mayor is different than the endorsed Mayoral Candidate. I do believe the Chief of Police should not be politicized and should focus on being a neutral party in elections. The Police Chief's commitment should be to the Community members and not politicians.
Section B
Q3: Should footage of in custody deaths from law enforcement officers and jailers in Omaha be made public immediately upon incident? If not, when do you feel it should be released or why not.
I believe footage should be released within 24 hours to families of the victims. The family should be given the respect of choosing how and when the video of their loved one's death is distributed. As much as we in the public wish to know what happened we have to understand that a media circus around the event and the constant re-airing of the tragedy can be traumatizing to those that knew the individual before they were a headline.
Q4: Currently according to Nebraska law footage from police body-worn cameras and dashcam footage can only be released by the county prosecutor. The Omaha Police department can not release video footage, only stills of footage. Does the ability to selectively release footage of deaths in police custody solely through the discretion of one prosecutor give undue influence towards prosecuting possible homicides by police?
Yes
Q4 LINK Nebraska Legislature
Link to Grand Jury Results Defined Nebraska Legislature
Q5: Should the turning off of a body-worn camera or cruiser dashcam and destruction or deletion of any footage by an officer result in an automatic termination as well as lead to felony criminal charges of evidence tampering?
Yes, I believe we do need to create policy which makes those actions illegal by city ordinance and I support making this type of misconduct a criminal offense which could lead to termination or other appropriate charges.
Section C
Q6: In 2013 local police oversight advocacy groups and citizens presented a plan for independent police oversight in the form of a police oversight board which was implemented in 2014 by executive action from Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert called the Civilian Complaint Review Board. Should the duties of the CCRB be expanded to include independent review of in custody deaths and assaults for public dissemination?
Yes
Q7: The CCRB only reviews complaints made against police officers retroactively after the offense has taken place. In an effort to increase monitoring and curtailing police abuses of power and people, should the CCRB's functions, budget, and facilities be expanded to include a real time monitoring and forensic center where police can be monitored 24/7 independent of the police department? Should an expanded CCRB include a forensic auditor to determine causes of death from in custody fatalities?
I support the implementation of the legislation introduced at the Unicameral by Senator Wayne to add more authority to community oversight boards. For me, it's important to intervene before deaths occur, not after. I'm open to investing in data driven proactive changes that can help create greater accountability and reduce/eliminate in custody deaths.