- Residents oppose grant funds for Special Operations Group
- OPD chief calls for better coordination with sheriff’s office
- Commissioners say funding decision still under review
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners faced strong public pushback this week as community members voiced concerns about the sheriff’s office budget—specifically, grant funding allocated for the Special Operations Group.
During Tuesday’s meeting, several residents spoke out against the SWAT-trained unit, criticizing its presence in the community and the trauma they say it causes.
“I think it’s important to defund this department because of the terror and trauma they’re inflicting on our community,” said Clarice Dombeck. The concerns come amid a letter from Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer to Sheriff Aaron Hanson, urging stronger coordination between departments on investigations across the county. The letter highlights growing tensions over overlapping responsibilities between the Omaha Police Department and the sheriff’s office.
At the meeting, sheriff’s officials presented a breakdown of how the office is funded and defended its role in law enforcement throughout both the city and unincorporated areas of Douglas County.
Chief Deputy of Operations for the sheriff’s office acknowledged there’s ongoing debate about jurisdiction, but emphasized the department’s duty to respond to crimes that span city and county lines.
County commissioners have not yet made a final decision on the additional funding request, saying it remains under review.
