OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Mayor Jean Stothert and Chief Todd Schmaderer are looking at another pay increase to tackle an ongoing officer shortage.
- Mayor Jean Stothert proposed another increase, which would keep Omaha the highest-paying department in Nebraska.
- OPD is budgeted for 906 officers, the department currently sits at 782 officers.
- “The salary increases total approximately $2.3 million this year, in 2025, and approximately another additional $9 million in 2026,” Stothert said.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Let’s take recruits for example, right now they make $73,403 and to keep them above other state agencies, that could increase to over $75,379 this year and another increase get them to $79,580 next year.
It has been over 5 years since the Omaha Police Department has been nearly fully staffed.
Budgeted for 906 officers, the department sits at 782.
“There is only so long that they can continue to be this efficient, this adept, this skilled at what they do without getting some reinforcements,” said Todd Schmaderer, Omaha Police Chief.
The Omaha Police Department is the biggest and highest-paid department in the state. In fact, officers received a pay bump just last year.
And now they may get another one.
"This will guarantee that the Omaha police officers that are at the top of the pay scale and are our most experienced officers are always paid 5% above all other agencies in Nebraska,” said Mayor Jean Stothert.
Mayor Jean Stothert proposed another increase, which would keep Omaha the highest-paying department in Nebraska.
“The salary increases total approximately $2.3 million this year, in 2025, and approximately another additional $9 million in 2026,” Stothert said.
Schmaderer also said he's open to changing other hiring policies like accepting applications year-round and allowing officers with at least 8 years’ experience, from other departments, to transfer into OPD without taking a pay cut.
“These are strides that augment all the other strides that we have tried to make to increase our police staffing and clearly the applications have gone up every year. However, they are just not to the level we need them to be," Schmaderer said.
This comes as the city council increases pay for a number of city jobs, like HVAC techs, librarians, and mechanics in an effort to recruit better candidates.
The proposed raises for 2025 and 2026 must be approved by the Omaha Police Officer’s Association, the personnel board, and the City Council before going into effect.
