Douglas County Sheriff plans new Courthouse office

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - We think of sheriff’s deputies out on patrol keeping our streets and homes safe. But there’s another part of the job that involves a large number of them.

The new Douglas County Sheriff says he’ll have a second office at the Courthouse.

Whether leaving a contentious court hearing or helping citizens find the right courtroom, Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies and security officers are highly visible and maintain order in the civic center or courthouse next door.

“I think it’s important to be in touch with the people in that building, whether it be city government, county government, or various people within county and city government and my staff,” said Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson.

The Sheriff’s main office is located at 156th and Maple, which is 19 miles from the courthouse and civic center where about 60 Sheriff’s employees work.

And the Sheriff having a second office at the courthouse or civic center would be a time saver as well. The drive from Sheriff’s headquarters to downtown Omaha is about 20 minutes or more depending on traffic.

So barely moved into his west Omaha office, Sheriff Aaron Hanson says he plans to have a second office downtown.

“I think given a third of my staff is assigned down to the courthouse and there is so much sheriff’s office-oriented activities down there, I think it’s important to have a secondary office somewhere either in the courthouse of the civic center.”

The Sheriff says he plans to spend more than one day a week in a second office close to where the public deputies and justice system interact every work week.

The warrants division and civil process unit is located near the Douglas County Jail downtown. So, all together the Sheriff has more than 100 employees in or near the courthouse.

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