Omaha Police Department

The Omaha Police Department (OPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Omaha, Nebraska. It is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The OPD is the largest law enforcement agency in the State of Nebraska.[3]

Omaha Police Department
MottoTo Serve and Protect
Agency overview
Formed1857[1]
Annual budget$160 million (2020)[2]
Jurisdictional structure
Legal jurisdictionMunicipal
Operational structure
Sworn members902
Agency executive
Facilities
Stations6
helicopters3
Website
Omaha Police Department

The OPD has 902 sworn officers covering an area of 118.9 square miles (308 km2) and a population of 478,192 people (2019 census estimate) within city limits.

History
Further information: Omaha Claim Club
OPD Badge

In 1941, the department chose a distinctive badge design. The design is still in use today.

There have been 25 deaths of officers in the line of duty. Officer Larry Minard was killed on August 17, 1970 by a bomb placed by members of the Black Panther Party. The Omaha Police Department was heavily involved in the FBI's COINTELPRO operation, and using evidence from COINTELPRO, and from the confession of Duane Peak, Panthers David Rice (now known as Mondo we Langa) and Ed Poindexter were convicted for Minard's death and were both sentenced to life. The guilt of the two has been questioned, and Amnesty International has released reports criticizing the prosecutions actions in the Rice/Poindexter Case. Rice would later die in prison.

Officer James B. Wilson, Jr. died on August 20, 1995. He was killed while sitting in his cruiser after pulling over a van with fictitious plates, out of which two of eight gang members exited the vehicle and shot him with an AK-47 and a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol.

Officer Jason Pratt died on September 19, 2003, a week after being confined in intensive care with a gunshot wound to the head. Pratt was shot in the line of duty during a foot pursuit. He was a member of the Omaha Police Department's S.W.A.T. team.[4]

On 26 August 2014, Omaha policemen accidentally shot and killed television sound technician Bryce Dion. Dion was killed while his team was filming an episode of the TV show Cops.[5]

Officer Kerrie Orozco, a 7-year veteran of the Omaha Police department, and a member of Gang Unit, was shot and killed on May 20, 2015, while attempting to serve an arrest warrant. Officer Orozco was part of the Metro Area Fugitive Task Force, and was in the process of serving an arrest warrant when the suspect opened fire, striking the officer. Officer Orozco was rushed to CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries. The suspect was also rushed to CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center, where he too succumbed to his injuries.[4] This is the first time an officer has died in the line of duty since September 19, 2003, when Officer Jason Pratt was shot and killed. Orozco was also the first female Omaha Police officer killed in the line of duty.[6][7]

On January 23, 2016, K9 Kobus was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend a barricaded suspect following a standoff that began when Douglas County Sheriff Deputies attempted to serve a mental health related warrant. Kobus was the first known K9 with the Omaha Police Department to have been killed in the line of duty.[8]

Organization

Command structure
Omaha Police Headquarters

Police Chief Todd Schmaderer has served as chief of police since 2012. He was appointed by the mayor with approval by the Omaha City Council, as are all police chiefs. There are five deputy chiefs who are responsible for the Uniform Patrol Bureau, Criminal Investigations Bureau, Police Services Bureau, Executive Services Bureau and the Professional Standards Bureau. Below the chief in rank are five deputy chiefs, who have an area of responsibility within the department.

Rank structure and insignia
Rank Insignia
Chief of Police
Deputy Chief
Captain
Lieutenant
Sergeant
Police Officer*
Police Officer
  • Officers with two blue chevrons on their uniforms indicate service of at least 7 years with the department. This insignia was introduced in 2016. While recognizing an officer for continued service over an extended period of time with the department, it is not a supervisory rank.[9]

Omaha Police Chiefs
  • Todd R. Schmaderer (2012–Present)
  • David L. Baker (interim, 2012)
  • Alex N. Hayes (2009-2012)
  • Eric W. Buske (2008-2009
  • Thomas H. Warren, Sr. (2003-2008)
  • Alan F. Pepin (interim, 2003)
  • Donald L. Carey (1998-2003)
  • Charles J. Circo (interim; 1997-1998)
  • James N. Skinner (1989-1997)
  • Robert C. Wadman (1982-1989)
  • Jack D. Swanson (1981-1982)
  • Elwin Lewis Stokes (1981-1981)
  • Richard R. Andersen (1967-1981)
  • Lester K. Smith (1965-1966)
  • C. Harold Ostler (1957-1964 and 1966-1967)
  • Harry N. Green (1954-1957)
  • Henry Boesen (1951-1954)
  • Fred Franks (1948-1950)
  • Robert Munch (1947-1948)
  • Paul Haze (1944-1947)
  • Bob Samardick (1935-1936 and 1944-1944)
  • George W. Allen (1932-1935)
  • John J. Pszanowski (1928-1932 and 1936-1944)
  • Charles VanDeusen (1924-1928)
  • Peter Dillon (1923-1924)
  • Marshal Eberstein (1918-1921)
  • Michael Dempsey (1918-1918 and 1921-1923)
  • Henry W. Dunn (1912-1918)
  • J. J. Donahue (1899-1912)
  • Con Gallegher (1897-1898)
  • Al Sigwart (1895-1897)
  • Martin J. White (1895-1895 and 1898-1899)
  • Webber S. Seavey (Omaha's First Police Chief; August 1887 - June 1895)

Chief history

Webber Seavey, Omaha Police Department's first chief, Founded the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 1893. In 1982 Robert C Wadman was the first Chief to be appointed from outside the ranks of the Omaha Police Division. He was Utah Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety and served until 1989. Thomas Warren, named by Mayor Mike Fahey in 2003 was the first African American to serve as Chief in the Omaha Police Department. He served until 2008.

Patrol area

The city of Omaha is divided into five geographical areas by the department, with a precinct in each area; Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest, and West. Omaha Airport Authority Police Department is a separate agency and is the law enforcement agency at Eppley Airfield, a medium-hub, primary airport serving Greater Omaha and the region.

Specialized divisions and units

Like most urban police departments, OPD has specialized squads and units to deal with the differing law enforcement issues of the city. Units include:

Omaha Police Department Horse Patrol
Omaha Police Department Cruiser
  • Air Unit
  • Burglary Unit
  • Auto Theft Unit
  • Fraud Unit
  • Pawn and Salvage
  • Felony Assault Unit
  • Emergency Response Unit (SWAT)
  • Fugitive Squad
  • Gang Unit
  • Homicide Unit
  • K-9 Unit
  • Bomb Squad
  • Internal Affairs Unit
  • Narcotics Unit
  • Organized Crime Squad
  • Robbery Unit
  • Special Victims Unit (Child Abuse/Neglect)
  • Traffic Unit
  • Vice Squad

Demographics

Breakdown of the makeup of the rank and file of OPD:[10]

  • Male: 80%
  • Female: 20%
  • White: 82%
  • African-American/Black: 11%
  • Hispanic: 5%
  • Asian: 1%
  • Native American:1%

Vehicles used

List of the vehicles currently used in the OPD fleet as of 2017

See also

References
  1. "History of the Omaha Police Department (1857 - 1899)". Omaha Police Department. 2002. Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2007-12-05.
  2. Sullivan, Carl; Baranauckas, Carla (June 26, 2020). "Here's how much money goes to police departments in largest cities across the U.S." USA Today. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-05. Retrieved 2015-04-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. BRUMMER, COURTNEY. "Omaha officer Pratt, killed in line of duty, remembered".
  5. Molloy, Tim. "'Cops' Soundman Mistakenly Shot and Killed by Police, Chief Says". The Wrap. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  6. "No Longer Available". KETV.
  7. "Omaha Police Department, NE". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).
  8. "K9 Kobus".
  9. "Manual" (PDF). police.cityofomaha.org.
  10. Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2000: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers Archived 2007-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
  11. http://static-10.sinclairstoryline.com/resources/media/7bfd3ced-357a-42f8-8546-cd48d861a186-20973858_BG1.jpg?1452579784962
  12. "Photo" (JPG). images15.fotki.com.
  13. "Data" (JPG). content.newsinc.com.
  14. "OPD Helicopter (@OPDABLE1) - Twitter". twitter.com.

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