Post Tagged with: "public safety"

Officer resigns amid investigation

Officer resigns amid investigation

An Omaha Police officer has left the force, amid an investigation into his involvement with a controversial March arrest.

Officer Christopher J. Olson’s last day was June 2, said Steve Kerrigan, the city’s interim human resources director.

Olson had five years on the force. Kerrigan declined to give a reason for the resignation.

The March 21 arrests of Octavious, Juaquez and Demetrius Johnson caused a public outcry and resulted in the firing of four officers — two of whom have been criminally charged. The charges grew out of alleged evidence tampering inside the Johnson home.

A person familiar with the investigation into the arrests of three brothers said Thursday that authorities were seeking to question Olson about whether he had turned off a cruiser camera or cameras that were taping during the incident.

June 14, 2013 Read More
New OPD policy: let cameras roll

New OPD policy: let cameras roll

The Omaha Police Department has refined its policy on the public’s use of cameras and video in the wake of a YouTube posting of an arrest that led to the firing of four officers, two of whom are charged with criminal wrongdoing.

The March 21 incident highlighted the sometimes contentious terrain that officers and citizens navigate when cameras increasingly capture their interactions.

“Individuals have a First Amendment right to record police officers in the public discharge of their duties, plain and simple,” said Deputy Chief Greg Gonzalez.

Starting Tuesday, the department’s 105 police sergeants will receive training that includes an overview of the revised policy. In addition, all officers have been sent a “training bulletin” outlining the changes. Commanders have gone over the revisions during roll call, which occurs at the start of each officer’s shift.

May 13, 2013 Read More
Criminal charges for two fired officers

Criminal charges for two fired officers

Two of the  police officers fired af the controversial arrest of three brothers at a north Omaha home are facing criminal charges.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said Monday that Officer James Kinsella would be charged with tampering with evidence, a felony, along with misdemeanor charges of obstruction and theft. Sgt. Aaron Von Behren is facing two misdemeanor charges: obstructing governmental operations and accessory to a felony.

Kleine said Kinsella took a memory card out of a camera that one of the brothers had been using to film police inside the home. Von Behren, he said, tried to cover up Kinsella’s actions.

Both officers can turn themselves in tomorrow morning, Kleine said.

We’ll be posting more updates here and at omaha.com.

May 6, 2013 Read More
Appeals from 2 fired cops

Appeals from 2 fired cops

Former Officers Bradley D. Canterbury and Justin A. Reeve, who were fired after a swift police investigation into a controversial north Omaha arrest, both signaled their intent Tuesday to appeal their terminations to an independent labor arbitrator.

Appeal notices from the Omaha Police Officers’ Association, which is assisting with the appeal, were sent to Omaha Human Resources Director Richard O’Gara, Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and the city labor relations director.

“We believe the termination to be excessive and unwarranted; therefore the termination will be appealed to arbitration,” Sgt. John Wells, head of the police union, wrote in both letters.

April 24, 2013 Read More
Tense District 2 debate

Tense District 2 debate

Incumbent Councilman Ben Gray and retired police officer Tariq Al-Amin sparred during a tense public exchange Tuesday evening — trading blows on a variety of subjects including police oversight, their respective abilities to marshal neighborhood groups and Gray’s record on jobs and crime.

Al-Amin, 56, an outspoken community activist, said he entered the race because some residents feel Gray has “betrayed” the district.

“My opponent is very good at taking credit for things he had nothing to do with,” Al-Amin said during the forum at the Love’s Jazz and Arts Center near 24th and Lake Streets. “I don’t believe a lot of things he says. He has no credibility.”

Gray retorted: “I have trust with a whole lot of people in the community, and a whole lot of other businesses. So having trust with you doesn’t mean a whole lot to me.”

Click through to read our short profiles on each of the District 2 finalists.

April 10, 2013 Read More
Chief fires four cops

Chief fires four cops

UPDATE, 4/8:We have learned more about the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of the four officers.

One officer allegedly attempted to destroy footage of the incident while others may have attempted to cover it up. Those allegations are being investigated by the Douglas County Attorney’s Office. The Nebraska State Patrol is also looking into the matter, and served a search warrant Saturday at the north Omaha home where the controversial arrests took place.

Meanwhile, Schmaderer’s decision to fire the officers won’t be final until they’ve had a chance to appeal. That means they could end up in front of the city’s Personnel Board or an arbitrator, and potentially could end up back on the force.

UPDATE, 4/5:  Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer has fired four police officers after a swift investigation of a controversial north Omaha arrest.

Schmaderer’s actions represent a sweeping level of discipline reached after a two-week internal probe that involved five department investigators and a lieutenant — as well as representatives of the Douglas County Attorney’s Office, city prosecutor’s office and the local FBI office. The Police Department-led investigation focused not only on the circumstances of a widely viewed recording of officers arresting a local man, but also on what occurred inside a nearby residence after police pursued a second man inside.

We’ll deliver more updates as we get them.

Meanwhile, could small cameras that attach to an officer’s clothing provide evidence that cruiser-based cameras can’t? The technology shows promise, but is still in its infancy.

April 5, 2013 Read More
Parties dig in

Parties dig in

You should read World-Herald columnist Erin Grace‘s take on Tuesday’s primary — written from McFly’s Tavern, stronghold of the local fire union.

“Officially, tonight is a primary contest for mayor,” Grace wrote. “Unofficially, these firefighters believe, it’s a referendum on Local 385, the 660-member firefighters union.”

All this comes as Jean Stothert and Jim Suttle start a six-week sprint to the general election by consolidating their parties’ support and angling for their former rivals’ supporters.

Suttle gathered Democratic city, county and state representatives at his campaign office Thursday in a show of force. Stothert picked up endorsements from key GOP rivals Wednesday, and both sides angled for supporters of the primary race’s lone independent, State Sen. Brad Ashford.

It’s a first signal of just how partisan this race could become.

April 4, 2013 Read More
Arrest investigation continues

Arrest investigation continues

UPDATE, 3/26: An Omaha police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave following a videotaped arrest that is at the center of an excessive force allegation, signaling the possibility that department officials are weighing disciplinary action.

Mayor Jim Suttle weighed in on a police investigation into a controversial, videotaped arrest (video embedded later in the post) conducted by Omaha Police officers last week.

“We take allegations of abuse or the use of excessive force by any police officer seriously,” the mayor said in a statement distributed a few minutes ago.  “We’ve worked hard to gain public trust and will do what’s necessary to ensure that trust is not broken.  The City and its Police Officers have made great strides in developing a good working relationship with the people they serve.  This positive relationship has strengthened Omaha’s community policing efforts and helped us reduce crime.”

Police Chief Todd Schmaderer held a rare weekend press conference (video above) to address a department investigation into the arrest. Two more officers were reassigned until the probe concludes; one officer had been shifted to a new post on Friday. A police spokeswoman has declined to identify them, and their new assignments were not clear.

March 25, 2013 Read More
New city prosecutor unveiled

New city prosecutor unveiled

The city has formally appointed a veteran of its legal staff to lead the City Prosecutor’s Office.

David Smalheiser was unveiled Thursday as the choice to succeed retired City Prosecutor Marty Conboy. Smalheiser has served with the law department since 1984, the city said, and has managed Omaha’s criminal and traffic diversion programs.

March 14, 2013 Read More
Both barrels on gun control

Both barrels on gun control

Instead of talking city finances or epic floods, Mayor Jim Suttle’s campaign has used its first campaign commercial to endorse a local ban on assault weapons.

This is sure to appeal to the mayor’s liberal base of voters; and those of his opponents.

Click through to see how the mayor’s ad compares to the rest of the field.

March 11, 2013 Read More