Douglas County Sheriff outlines budget increase; public speakers protest special operations unit

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office presented a proposed fiscal 2025-26 budget of $25,061,068 on June 10, 2025, asking for about $731,466 above the county's budget target and outlining personnel increases, new equipment and expanded programs.

The proposal highlighted a 4.6% increase over the prior adjusted budget, driven by three additional sworn hires tied to two planned new courtrooms, a requested captain position, accreditation-driven professional services (including a public survey platform and a command mentorship program), and technology and forensic capacity additions, including a new crime-scene technician. The sheriff's office said it will aggressively pursue grant revenue and forfeiture funds to offset the net impact.

The presentation described reorganizations made in 2023 into three operational bureaus ' Court Services, Criminal Investigations, and Uniform Services ' and an administrative bureau for accreditation and support. Command staff told the board they face rising workloads in warrants and civil process, court security demands tied to two new courtrooms, end-of-life replacements for radios, and increases in specialized investigations including narcotics and organized crime. The sheriff's office said much of the county general fund share covers personnel (about 93% of their expenses), with nonwage expenses limited by comparison.

Public comment afterward was extensive and contentious. Dozens of speakers, primarily from North Omaha advocacy groups and residents, urged the county not to approve funding increases that would expand or sustain the Sheriff's Office Special Operations Group (SOG). Speakers said SOG has operated inside Omaha city limits without consistent coordination with Omaha Police Department (OPD), has used unmarked vehicles and plainclothes officers that residents say have terrorized and profiled Black and immigrant communities, and that a recent deputy-involved fatal shooting intensified community distrust. Organizations and individuals who spoke included North Omaha Community Partnership (Tamika Meese), several residents (LaVonne Dennis Williams, Clarice Dombek, Sherman Wells, Kyra Britt), Boots on the Ground Strategies (Jaden Perkins) and others who described specific encounters they said involved unmarked officers, guns drawn and arrests.

The sheriff's office command staff responded during the hearing that the SOG is composed of investigators and task forces meant to address cross-jurisdictional problems, that formal deconfliction systems are used to coordinate operations with OPD and other agencies, and that license-plate-reader (LPR) cameras and other technologies are being deployed in county right-of-way areas to help solve vehicle-based and logistics-driven crimes. Command also said SOG and other units have regained ground on property and auto thefts in county statistics presented during the briefing and that some initiatives ' such as civil process recovery ' generate revenue the office does not hold in its own budget but that benefit the county overall.

Commissioners asked for follow-up details. They requested: (1) a list of grants the sheriff's office has received since 2023 and which have expired and been absorbed by the county general fund; (2) maps or heat maps showing where SOG activity and investigations occur and how much time is spent in incorporated versus unincorporated parts of Douglas County; (3) details about encumbrances and the items being encumbered (the office provided a back-page encumbrance list in the budget book); and (4) more information on contracts cited in the presentation (for example, professional services and outside counsel). Command agreed to supply those reports.

Several commissioners and staff also probed the office's LPR program. The sheriff's office said it currently leases 18 fixed LPR cameras in county right-of-way areas through a vendor; the devices are not installed inside the City of Omaha. The office said the LPRs are used to help track vehicles involved in crimes and that other Nebraska agencies operate similar systems.

Board members signaled they wanted time to review the material and the requested follow-ups. The budget presentation was informational; any formal decisions on the county budget will be made at later meetings when the board votes on the full county budget and tax levy.

Ending: The Sheriff's Office presentation prompted sustained public comment and multiple follow-up requests by commissioners for operational detail. The board did not take a final budget vote at the June 10 meeting; departments present for over-target requests were asked to provide additional documentation before the July budget vote.