OPD Recruits Graduate as Crime Decreases

(January 11, 2025)

It's graduation day for 27 Omaha Police recruits. The class is one of three planned recruit classes in 2025 to reach the police department's authorized number of 906 officers.

The new officers completed 23 weeks of police academy training and will continue with field training.

"You passed,' said Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer. This is the best career in the world because you have the opportunity to help people. It is my expectation that you deal with all calls with professionalism, humility and expertise."

Chief Schmaderer administered the oath to the recruits as the Omaha Police Department reported overall crime in Omaha fell 17% in 2024 from 2023, violent crime is down 21%, and Omaha recorded 19 homicides, the lowest number in more than 30 years.

"The oath you take today is your promise to protect and serve our city," said Mayor Jean Stothert. "The public measures our success by their own personal safety. Success is also measured by crime reports, statistics, and police community relations. I am especially proud of the impressive strides we have made to make Omaha a safe community."

"Our crime numbers in 2024 are absolutely stellar," said Chief Schmaderer. "Clearly, I am supportive of Mayor Stothert. I feel her record on public safety and her governance of that is second to none in this country."

OPD has also maintained low response times and for the second consecutive year, had a 100% homicide clearance rate, solving crimes and making arrests.

Chief Schmaderer calls the clearance rate an especially important measure of public safety, "If we can't solve the greatest affront in society, how can our community have confidence in our police department?"

The next recruit class is being selected now and is scheduled to start in the spring, followed by another class later this year.

"I am committed to restoring our police department to its authorized, budgeted number of officers. This class, each of you, gets us closer to that goal," said Mayor Stothert.

"Our goal is to be pretty close to maximum staffing levels at the end of 2025 and in 2026 lets really solidify things," said Chief Schmaderer. "That's really the last lingering stress point with the Omaha Police department. But I will say, we're still hitting all our strides, really the public has not seen any stress points."

This is the second class hired since Mayor Stothert added more than $9 million to the Omaha Public Department's budget to increase salaries for police officers. The higher salaries are intended to increase the number of applicants for police officer positions.

"We have been very upfront with the public about the national officer recruiting and retention challenges and our strategies to fill vacancies. Our plans are working," said Mayor Stothert.

Officer Sarah Fili received the Kerrie-On Award. The recognition is in memory of Officer Kerrie Orozco who was killed in the line of duty in 2015. The award is presented by her mother to the recruit who best represents Officer Orozco's legacy.

POLICE ACADEMY GRADUATES:

Michael Rosiere
Timothy Bosn
Andrew LeRette
Alisha Shankar
Callie Zohner
Sarah Fili
Isabelle Klaassen
Amber Laubert
Alex DeSantiago
Hsa Htoo
Dominique Smith
Andralynne Piittmann
Krystal Bartlett
Gabriel Gaskill
Lance White
Laurence Brands
Joel Gonzalez
Javon Hall
Faith Armstrong
Samantha Segura-Veliz
George Rodriguez
Erik Degener
Michael Bogart
Angelo Delsenno
Anthony Freeman
Erica Rivera-Briceno
Fernanda Gonzalez-Del Toral

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