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Police present $235 million budget, tout crime declines and expand drones, real-time operations
Summary
Police Chief Schmaderer outlined an $235 million 2027 budget that would add 93 officers, expand a real-time operations center and a drone first-responder program, and invest in Axon body-camera and taser packages; he said overall crime is down while noting the nine-month timeline to fully deploy recruits after academy graduation.
Chief Schmaderer told the council the Omaha Police Department's proposed 2027 budget is $235,000,000, an 8.5% increase over 2026, and emphasized staffing and technological investments designed to improve outcomes.
"The Omaha Police Department has a proposed $235,000,000 total allotment for 2027 that directly reflects our operational priorities," Schmaderer said. He reported year-to-date declines in several major crime metrics, including homicide (down 36%) and robbery (down 34%), and said the proposed budget supports 93 new officers and the full integration of youth and family engagement specialists. The department noted personnel will account for roughly 88.4% of its budget.
On new technology, Schmaderer and Lieutenant Adam Straub described the real-time operations center and a drone first-responder program as force multipliers: drones can arrive within seconds in some locations and the realtime center provides "eyes on" situations to officers en route; the department reported drones cleared officers before arrival in roughly 5% of 4,675 incidents cited in the presentation. Council members pressed on towing and impound costs, mental-health co-responder metrics, and whether stationary license-plate readers (sometimes called "flock" cameras) are being used and how the data are retained and audited.
Why it matters: the OPD budget dominates public-safety spending in the city and includes personnel and equipment choices that affect patrol capacity, response times, and privacy oversight.
