Omaha residents fearful of ‘vagrant break-ins’

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Downtown Omaha is speaking out after suffering from, what victims are now calling, ‘vagrant break-ins.’

People living at the Central Park Tower say those experiencing homelessness are finding ways into the building, taking over common areas, and leaving drugs and debris behind.

But, it’s not just residents raising concerns, as neighboring businesses are experiencing the same break-ins. These chronic break-ins have even been caught on camera.

“We are scared to death because they walk down the hallways, shake our doorknobs trying to get in,” said one anonymous tenant.

Pictures show the conditions in which the basement and common areas have been left following the break-ins.

“They are just all over downstairs. It goes one and then down lower and lower and lower. They are everywhere,” said the tenant.

The tenant is talking about underground tunnels in the basement that have allowed loiterers to make up a home in Central Park Tower and surrounding businesses.

Theresa McKinney, who used to cut hair in the area, said “I can’t stress enough that it’s not safe.”

McKinney said she’d often show up to work with people sleeping on the floor and several items stolen off the shelves.

“It was fearful to go to the bathroom sometimes, so we did have mace with us most of the time. Sometimes it would be scary where would call the office and say ‘hey, somebody is back there and you need to come chase them out’,” said McKinney.

Since McKinney has moved on, but Anthony Kellogg has taken her space.

“We are connected to the apartments right there so we do have people in the back. We had to put up a gate in the back to stop people from using our bathroom or even coming into our business,” said Kellogg.

Tenants say they’ve made several complaints about lack of security, adding they are tired of feeling unsafe in the building they call home.

“They’ll just yank on that door and it’s supposed to be a secure door. They’ll just yank on it and get in. Or following other people in and the people aren’t stopping them. We got so many disabled in here that you couldn’t fight them off if you had to, no way,” said Kellogg.

The Seldin Company, which manages the Central Park Tower, acknowledges the issue. They say loiterers are primarily able to enter the building because the handicap door stays open long enough behind residents to allow others to enter.

Seldin Company says they continue to perform routine security patrols and are looking into replacing some doors on the property.