NEBRASKA, July 6 – Celebrating 85 Years of the Nebraska State Patrol

By Governor Pete Ricketts

July 5, 2022

Governor’s official picture right here. 

In 1937, the Nebraska Security Patrol was fashioned to deal with the rising downside of crashes on our state’s roads.  Eighty-five years later, that group nonetheless stands—now generally known as the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP).  Their mission to assist preserve our communities and residents protected hasn’t wavered.  However they proceed to adapt the methods they perform that mission to satisfy the wants of Nebraskans.  As we have a good time 85 years of the NSP, let’s acknowledge all they do for our state.  They preserve us protected on the roads, shield us from crime, cease on-line predators, and take harmful medication off our streets.

Many Nebraskans are aware of the work the NSP does to maintain our roads protected.  In Nebraska, extreme climate can come on out of the blue.  Blizzards, thunderstorms, and excessive winds create treacherous driving situations with little warning.  Each season of the yr, our Troopers carry out life-saving rescues of stranded motorists.  NSP made 163 rescues through the historic floods of March 2019.  Later that yr, in July, NSP revamped 100 further rescues as quickly rising floodwaters inundated Gibbon, Kearney, and Wooden River.

State Troopers additionally safe our roadways by responding to visitors accidents.  They assist clear crash scenes shortly to keep away from secondary accidents and to get visitors transferring once more.  Troopers work to find out what precipitated an accident, and their findings assist forestall future crashes. 

In August 2021, the NSP launched an progressive drone program to enhance the way it manages crash websites and performs accident investigations.  The drones seize aerial footage and take measurements from the sky, shortly gathering information wanted for the investigation.  Through the use of the drones, NSP has diminished the time to research an accident from 2 ½ hours to only 45 minutes.  This makes for a safer, extra environment friendly response.  Each minute saved at a crash web site is a minute that motorists aren’t detouring round a crash and our first responders aren’t in danger standing on the roadside.   

One of the necessary duties our Troopers carry out is responding to crimes in progress.  Troopers are prepared to threat their very own security to guard these in peril.  In January, NSP obtained phrase from legislation enforcement in Indiana that an armed suspect and kidnapping sufferer have been doubtless headed westbound on I-80 by way of Nebraska.  A warrant had been issued for the motive force’s arrest.  Troopers situated the car close to Grand Island and tried a visitors cease.  The driving force crossed the median and tried to go again east on I-80.  Troopers shortly made a tactical car intervention to cease the fleeing pickup.  An NSP SWAT crew took the suspect into custody with out incident, finding a number of firearms within the cab of the truck.  In addition they rescued the kidnapped feminine passenger who reported that she had been handcuffed by the motive force through the journey from Indiana to Nebraska.

In June, the State Patrol assisted Indiana legislation enforcement on one other case to intercept a human trafficker passing by way of Nebraska.  Indiana police notified NSP to be looking out for a lacking 13-year previous woman in a Ford F-150.  Troopers situated the car close to Kearney and made a visitors cease.  They discovered the younger woman hiding within the pickup and arrested the 20-year previous driver.  He was later charged with quite a few crimes, together with sexual trafficking of a kid.

As extra criminal activity strikes on-line, NSP has additionally ramped up its efforts to struggle cybercrime.  In June 2019, the company launched a Technical Crimes Division (TCD).  It protects Nebraska’s state and enterprise infrastructure, conducts youngster exploitation investigations, and offers forensic help to businesses all through the state.  TCD obtained greater than 2,000 cyber ideas in 2021, which it has used to efficiently examine circumstances of enticement and youngster pornography.  

Simply final month, NSP arrested a person from Roca for youngster enticement.  He had used social media in an try to rearrange a sexual encounter with a lady he believed was solely 14 years previous.  In actuality, the person had been in correspondence with an undercover NSP investigator.  When he confirmed up anticipating to satisfy her, he was arrested by NSP investigators.

Drug interdiction is one other predominant focus of the State Patrol.  The NSP works tirelessly to maintain medication off our streets and out of our communities.  That is extra necessary than ever as illicit medication stream into America throughout our damaged southern border.  In 2021, the NSP seized about 2 ½ occasions the quantity of fentanyl because it did in 2020.  The quantity of cocaine seized by NSP greater than tripled from 2020 to 2021.

Nebraska has the 2nd-lowest drug overdose mortality fee within the nation based on the CDC.  WalletHub ranks Nebraska as having the 4th-lowest “Drug Use and Dependancy” in America.  NSP deserves credit score for contributing to those robust rankings by way of its vigilant drug interdiction. 

On behalf of all Nebraskans, thanks to the NSP for the 85 years of service to maintain our communities protected.  Their mission has been profitable due to the 1000’s of women and men who’ve answered the decision to serve.  I invite Nebraskans to think about a profession with our state’s premier legislation enforcement company.  Purposes for NSP Primary Recruit Camp 67 open on July 7^th and can stay open for about three months.  Potential candidates can go to NebraskaTroopers.com to be taught extra in regards to the software course of, the advantages of working for the NSP, and the job alternatives accessible.

As at all times, please share any feedback or issues with me by emailing pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or calling 402-471-2244.