More officers, new facilities on Omaha Police Chief's wish list

Omaha’s new Police Chief says staffing and infrastructure are the two areas he’s planning for long-term.

Todd Schmaderer became Police Chief August 15th. At that time, Schmaderer said he was looking at both immediate and long-term goals for OPD.

The department currently has 789 officers. Schmaderer says he wants the police force to grow so it keeps up with retirements and Omaha’s growth. “Right now, it takes probably 15 months to two years by the time we do an application process, they get hired, go through our backgrounds with the training academy and field training before an officer can actually work alone and provide service to the city of Omaha.”

Schmaderer says his long-term plans also address OPD’s infrastructure needs. He says the Department needs a new headquarters, and a fifth precinct is possible as Omaha continues to grow.