Small-Town Police Moving Up to Omaha’s Force

By John Ferak, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.

Jan. 14–Washington County Sheriff Mike Robinson has lost some of his top officers, including a member of his own family, to the Omaha Police Department. And he’s hardly alone.

Several small-town police agencies in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa have had to fill vacancies when officers moved to the Omaha department.

That’s the other side of the mass retirements in the Omaha Police Department.

Omaha officials are juggling assignments as they work to replenish the Police Department ranks after 102 retirements last year. Most members of the force left early to take advantage of a lucrative pension payout that is not likely to be retained in this year’s contract.

Many of the Omaha officers are in their 40s to early 50s — young enough to move into new full-time jobs while still collecting their pensions.

It remains unclear how many may resurface on police forces in surrounding small towns, police officials in those towns said.

Last summer, Washington County hired Dave Points, a retired Omaha lieutenant, as a part-time deputy.

“Sometimes he fills in for us when someone’s sick or there’s vacation time,” Sheriff Robinson said. “You can’t say enough about the experience someone like Dave brings to the table.”

Meanwhile, many smaller agencies are resigned to losing officers to a bigger, better-paying department.

“You just accept the fact that Washington County can’t compete with Omaha for pay, benefits and retirement pensions,” said Robinson, the sheriff since 2000. “We never have any hard feelings for our officers if they go to Omaha to better themselves.”

But some police departments are seeking to hold on to their officers by boosting pay, providing better equipment and offering more out-of-town training. The departments also sell life in small towns and the opportunity for more personalized policing.

“We’re trying to find people who enjoy a small-town lifestyle and a slower pace,” said Blair Police Chief Joe Lager. “We have not lost anybody to Omaha since 2004.”

About four years ago, Robinson lost two of Washington County’s top deputies to Omaha, including his twin brother, Mitch, a longtime officer for Blair who had become a Washington County criminal investigations captain.

In December, the Missouri Valley Police Department lost one of its sergeants to Omaha. The Fremont Police Department has lost at least seven officers since 2000.

Some officers who left Fremont received an annual salary increase of at least $10,000 in Omaha.

“We’ve lost many of our younger officers with three to five years’ experience,” said Fremont police Lt. Jeff Elliott.

“For many of our officers, they like the Fremont community, but they can make a lot more in Omaha doing the same job. Omaha does not recruit, but our officers know officers down there. They see the newspaper ads. They’re not stupid.”

Last year, the five-member Ashland Police Department lost Lt. Tom Raudenbush, a six-year veteran, to Omaha.

“Money and benefits is what Tom told me,” said veteran Ashland Police Chief Mark Powell. “We can’t compete at that level. It’s frustrating, yet it’s understandable. It’s hard when you get a good person like Tom.”

In Wahoo, Saunders County Chief Deputy Sheriff Bob Thorson said his force lost deputy Rob Jensen in 2006.

“But, fortunately, Omaha has not been a real big concern,” said Thorson, whose brother Don is a retired Omaha deputy police chief.

Blair is among the small-town departments working to combat turnover to Omaha and other larger departments.

One Blair officer is currently attending a three-month-long training program at the FBI academy in Virginia, said Lager, the Blair chief. Blair has added bicycle patrols, motorcycle patrols, canine officers and school resource officers as attractive assignments.

Around 2003, Blair lost two police officers to Omaha, including one with three years on the job.

“She just wanted a bigger department and, obviously, the benefits were appealing,” Lager said.

Blair has increased its starting officer salary to about $40,000, he said. After a few years, an officer can earn $45,000 to $50,000. The growing city of 8,000 is also adding two officers, going to 17 full-time officers.

Elliott, the Fremont lieutenant, notes that not everyone is looking to move on to a larger department.

A first-time patrol assignment in Omaha is not attractive to everyone, he said. After all, many new officers must work midnight shifts, weekends and holidays in a department where they can face close scrutiny from the public and police supervisors.

“We have 42 sworn officers in Fremont, and at least 50 percent have 10 years or more experience,” Elliott said.

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