Lincoln County approves taser purchases, backs Union Pacific grant for drone

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners on May 5 approved two purchase contracts for TASER units for the sheriff’s office and a letter of support for a Union Pacific community safety grant application that would help purchase an outdoor drone.

Captain Dan Newton of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office told commissioners the department’s TASER inventory includes older devices beyond their useful life and that the department has no alternative vendors. “The useful life for a taser is 5 years, so we've far exceeded that,” Newton said, describing training, holsters and cartridge compatibility as reasons to replace units systemwide.

The board approved two purchase agreements presented by sheriff’s staff: a $108,007.38 contract for the corrections/jail allocation and a $126,001.84 contract for patrol equipment, with the patrol purchase offered on a 60‑month payment plan. Newton said the sheriff’s office currently has about 24 patrol units and about 24 jail units, some of which are nonfunctional; trade‑in allowances of roughly $500 per unit reduced initial payments in the vendor proposal. Commissioners approved the motion contingent on final review by county staff to confirm procurement compliance.

Separately, commissioners authorized a letter of support for a Union Pacific community safety grant application for up to $30,000 toward an estimated $33,000 outdoor drone. Sheriff’s staff said the Nebraska Community Foundation will serve as the 501(c)(3) pass‑through required by the grant program, and that Deputy Jeremy Parker is certified to operate outdoor drones under current Federal Aviation Administration rules. The board approved the letter and asked that the chair sign it.

Both measures passed by roll call vote. The TASER contracts will be signed by authorized sheriff’s office personnel once county legal review is complete; the drone grant application will be submitted through the Nebraska Community Foundation.