Douglas County Sheriff's Office reports drop in many property crimes, rising fentanyl seizures and traffic‑safety gains

Sheriff's Office leaders briefed the Douglas County Board of Commissioners Tuesday on 2024 crime trends and operational changes, reporting significant declines in several property‑crime counts while noting sharp increases in the street value of some thefts and large rises in fentanyl seizures.

Chief Deputy Will Nemach introduced the presentation and said the sheriff’s office restructured investigative assignments to split property and person crimes. Captain Sellers said that division allowed detectives to specialize and be more proactive, which he credited with falling case counts in multiple property‑crime categories.

"We've divided our teams into property crimes and person crimes," Captain Sellers said, describing a strategy that directed investigative resources to repeat offenders and high‑harm targets. He reported year‑over‑year decreases in several categories: theft reports down 18%, theft from vehicle down 32%, auto theft down 30%, burglary down 7%, and total property thefts down 23%.

At the same time, officials said monetary losses rose in some categories because thieves are increasingly targeting high‑value construction equipment such as skid steers and telehandlers. Captain Sellers said construction‑site theft counts fell about 27% while the dollar value of losses rose about 55% because suspects stole heavier and more expensive equipment.

The sheriff’s Special Operations Group — a roughly eight‑person unit staffed by tactically trained deputies and supported by federal task‑force assignments — also reported steep increases in some narcotics seizures in 2024: methamphetamine and cocaine seizures rose, and fentanyl seizures increased substantially. Officials said fentanyl strength and presence in counterfeit prescription pills are major concerns; prescription pills seized rose dramatically as well.

Deputy Andy Woodward, assigned to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service task force, reported packages seized in 2024 that included multiple pounds of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other controlled substances.

The department credited license‑plate reader data and cooperation with area builders and the Metro Omaha Builders Association (MOBA) for helping develop suspects in construction‑theft cases. The Special Operations Group also produced federal indictments on several multi‑month cases.

On traffic safety, Captain Chris Peterson said total traffic fatalities increased statewide in 2024, but traffic fatalities in unincorporated Douglas County fell about 10% while overall countywide fatalities rose. Peterson said the Sheriff's Office Community Action Team (CAAT) focuses on problem intersections and high‑risk driving incidents and that the county will add another CAAT member in March.

"We are making a major impact with traffic in unincorporated Douglas County," Peterson said, adding the office is coordinating with state highway departments and county roads to adjust signal timing and speed transitions on routes that may contribute to crashes.

Commissioners praised deputies for outreach efforts, including clothing and donation drives for people in encampments and the department’s efforts to connect people with services. Commissioner Cavanaugh asked the sheriff to return with a similar presentation on crimes against persons; Sheriff Aaron Hanson and staff agreed to provide that follow‑up within 30 days.

Why it matters: The briefing shows a tactical shift toward concentrated investigative teams, use of technology such as license‑plate readers, enhanced cooperation with builders and federal partners, and a targeted traffic safety program — measures county officials say are producing measurable declines in many crimes and targeted reductions in unincorporated‑county traffic fatalities.