Law enforcement agencies team up to put more eyes in Nebraska’s sky

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A new program, which is the first of its kind in the state, is looking to add more eyes in the sky to protect Nebraskans.

The Nebraska State Patrol is partnering with the Lincoln Police Department and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office to grow the workforce in its Aviation Support Division.

Lincoln Police officers and Lancaster County deputies can now become tactical flight officers, who assist pilots when they’re in the air.

“They run the police radio and the imaging equipment,” said Lt. Justin Grint with the state patrol. “So, the pilot is just focused on flying the aircraft.”

This week, the patrol held its first multi-agency training for the program.

Grint said having these tactical officers is a game-changer. 

“In the past, we’ve always had two pilots coming,” he said. “And with the limited number of pilots, it makes it harder to get coverage.” 

The aviation team helps police departments find missing people.

But most commonly, they assist during pursuits. 

“By getting the aircraft over these incidences, it allows the cops on the ground to back off and stay away, which increases the safety for anybody involved,” Grint said. 

He said it’s a huge benefit to have a local cop who knows the streets in the program.