PAPILLION, Neb. (KMTV) — After the protests of last year, the public has been keeping a closer eye on officer-involved shootings throughout the country.
Now law enforcement agencies in Sarpy County are seeking to change the process that they investigate these incidents. They say it will add transparency and accountability. Sarpy County law enforcement is looking to streamline the process of how law enforcement agencies in the county investigate officer-involved shootings that result in death or serious bodily injuries.
The new effort being pushed, called The Sarpy County Force Investigations Team, would create a team from agencies in the county, including the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Bellevue, Papillion, and La Vista Police departments.
Specific details are murky until local governments sign off, but the idea would be to have an outside law enforcement agency investigate police-involved shootings rather than allowing the involved agency to handle the investigation.
Currently, outside agencies already investigate these types of shootings, for example, La Vista Police Department investigates Bellevue officer-involved shootings, but this would organize the process and include more law enforcement agencies, trained specifically on investigating these incidents.
The team would also investigate any in-custody deaths.
Those involved said putting together this team has been in the works for well over a year.
Both the La vista and Bellevue city councils will vote to approve on Tuesday.
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