Republican Congressman Mike Flood took his first steps in a new initiative called "Back the Blue" in an effort to help Nebraskan law enforcement recruit new officers and retain current staff.
Flood and Lincoln Sen. Eliot Bostar met with more than 30 law enforcement officials from departments across Nebraska on Tuesday in Lincoln to discuss what needs to be done to retain their current workforce and recruit those interested in law enforcement from other states.
"In a time when law enforcement is at the receiving end of some awful rhetoric ... they go to work every day to do the right thing in very difficult situations," Flood said.
Among the departments meeting with Flood and Bostar to discuss recruitment issues were the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office, the Lincoln Police Department, the Nebraska State Patrol and the Norfolk Police Division.
Flood said Nebraska is the best state in the country to work in law enforcement. He said the state's First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act, which provides college tuition waivers for law enforcement and their families if they have been Nebraska residents for five years, is an example of how Nebraska rewards its officers.
"If you like to hunt, if you like to play golf ... this state is ready to accommodate you with a quality of life that is unparalleled in this nation," the first-term congressman said.
Bostar described the conversation with all the agencies as trying to determine what is left to do.
LPD is one of the best-paying departments in the state, but it was 42 officers below its budgeted cap of 375 officers, according to data provided in December.
Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner, who spoke after the news conference following Tuesday's meeting, said his agency is 10% below its allotted amount of deputies.
He said most departments at the meeting were between 10% and 20% below their fully staffed amount.
"It puts a stress on the rest of the agency to fill the gap that those vacancies are causing," Wagner said.
Flood, who is running for reelection, recognized how departments across the state have used various tactics to recruit potential officers from within their communities.
But he stressed that Nebraska should not look to recruit officers from other agencies within the state but instead focus on attracting candidates nationwide or from nearby states like South Dakota, Wyoming and Iowa.
Flood said he plans to meet again with law enforcement officials after collecting more information and then mapping out a plan to take to Washington, D.C., in May.
"Workforce is one of the top issues in Nebraska," he said.
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