Police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in Nebraska
| Police hiring, training, and discipline |
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| • Police collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) • Ballotpedia CBA dashboard •Reform proposals •CBA areas of inquiry and disagreement •Arguments about police collective bargaining • Index of articles about criminal justice policy |
| Click here for more analysis of police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements by state and city on Ballotpedia |
This page provides an overview of policies related to the hiring, training, and discipline of police officers in Nebraska. It is part of an analysis of police union collective bargaining agreements and related arrangements with police unions concerning hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in the 50 states and top 100 cities by population.
Background
Ballotpedia in 2023 examined the collective bargaining agreements, statutes, and regulatory codes governing the 50 states and the top 100 US cities by population through the lens of a series of research questions related to police hiring, training, and discipline.
Some of the hiring, training, and discipline standards for police officers not established by statutes or regulations arise from negotiations with police unions. Those negotiations are often codified in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Those agreements are the contracts that states and cities sign following negotiations with police unions. Some states and cities restrict collective bargaining, but may still negotiate with police unions using other methods. After negotiating with the unions, those jurisdictions sometimes establish police standards through documents including memoranda of understanding or meet and confer agreements.
Results
The tables below link to each question Ballotpedia used to analyze the states and cities and indicate how Nebraska handles police hiring, training, and discipline. To see the provisions Ballotpedia used to support these results, click here.
CBA basics
| CBA basics | Results |
|---|---|
| Is there a CBA with the police union? | YES |
| Is the current CBA publicly available online? | YES |
Discipline and accountability
| Discipline and accountability | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA forbid the transfer or reassignment of an officer as a form of discipline? | NO |
| Do officers have a right to request third-party arbitration for grievances, including over disciplinary actions? | YES |
Condition: Employees may appeal disciplinary action through the grievance/arbitration procedure; Selection: Both parties agree on an arbitrator; Provider: If the parties cannot agree on an arbitrator, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service will provide a list of seven arbitrators to be chosen from; Arbitrator authority: The arbitrator submits their decision to the agency and the council, which can be appealed to the district courtEmployees can appeal a grievance to arbitration within 15 days with approval of the State Law Enforcement Bargaining Council (SLEBC) Board of Directors | |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to discipline for misconduct? | YES |
Primary discipline authority: Police Department, State of Nebraska; Types: Written warning, disciplinary probation, suspension, demotion, reduction in pay, discharge; Restricted aspects: Does not apply for unsatisfactory work performance. Member's family shall not be involved unless they are party to complaint or at specific request of officer; Challenge/appeal process: Union grievance procedure.Any complaints of less than serious misconduct received >24 months after the incident shall not result in discipline. Progressive discipline using the minimum level of discipline needed shall be used, except in cases involving "dishonesty, serious discriminatory action against a protected class, or criminal activity engaged in while on duty, or criminal activity off duty involving violence, drugs, or crimes of dishonesty." An employee suspended with minimum 10 days may use up to 5 days of vacation to receive pay during this time. | |
| Does the CBA explicitly allow for a state ombudsman outside particular police departments to hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct? | NO |
Legal limitations or provisions
Training and counseling
Community relations and oversight
| Community relations and oversight | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA reference citizen review boards? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to community policing? | NO |
Investigations
| Investigations | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to misconduct investigations? | YES |
Disciplinary rights and procedures and investigatory suspension | |
| Does the CBA require notice to officers of investigations? | YES |
Conditions: N/A; Timeline: 2 day notice, for immediate suspension; Content: N/A | |
| Does the CBA determine a timeline for investigations? | NO |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to compensation during misconduct investigations? | NO |
Evidence and records
| Evidence and records | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA have provisions related to the use of body-worn cameras or body-worn camera video evidence? | YES |
Officers are given access to camera footage when under investigation | |
| Does the CBA regulate processes for retaining officer disciplinary records? | YES |
Record storage: N/A; Storage authority: Personnel Office at each agency Headquarters; Types of records: Personnel records; Timeline: Polygraph destroyed after 1 year; Access and use: Employees have access to their personnel file; Use in decisions: N/A | |
Qualifications and evaluation
| Qualifications and evaluation | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require performance evaluations? | YES |
Referenced only; gives one-time bonus structure for satisfactory performance evaluation ratings | |
| Does the CBA restrict licensing procedures for law enforcement officers or departments? | NO |
Union authority
| Union authority | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA limit union authority to pay and benefits issues? | NO |
| Does the CBA give the union the power to approve or disapprove new training programs for law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions involving the union in the process for promotions, unit assignments, and transfers? | NO |
State retains right to hire, promote, assign, transfer | |
See also
Footnotes
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