In addition to the arrests, officers found 41 guns, 10 of which were stolen, and 31 ounces of marijuana.

Sudanese refugees started coming to Omaha about 20 years ago. The city has one of the largest populations of South Sudanese in the United States.

Many Sudanese, if not most, have successfully assimilated into the community. But some teens have fallen into gang life, said Omaha Police Capt. Tom Shaffer, who heads the gang unit.

“When we’re dealing with gangs, we’re seeing the refugee population being there consistently,” Shaffer said.

Some Sudanese gangs have formed, Shaffer said, but many youths have become part of already-established gangs because they follow friends or classmates who are gang members.

Omaha police work to prevent young people from becoming involved in gangs and criminal activity, which is why they’re looking for a gang intervention specialist who can relate to refugees or children of refugees. The specialist job will be a non-sworn position in the department. The person will spend time in schools, at community events and at locations of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands.