(Picture credit Matt Johnson)
OMAHA — Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly spoke in Omaha on Monday, focusing on recent law enforcement activity, construction of a new prison in northeast Lincoln, and the threat of drones over prisons and crowded venues such as Memorial Stadium.
Historic Busts by the State Patrol
Kelly had participated in a press conference immediately before the luncheon, appearing with Gov. Jim Pillen, Attorney General Mike Hilgers, and State Patrol leadership to highlight two recent interstate busts near Dawson County.
One involved a semi carrying about $250,000 in stolen high-value electronics, much of it audio gear, reportedly from an eastern Walmart. Another involved what the Patrol believes is its largest drug seizure by weight—prepackaged marijuana in large quantities.
“I think the governor responded after they gave the amount in the truck. He said, ‘Well, that’d be a half load of hogs,’” Kelly recalled.
Kelly argued the busts show the drug trade is international—which is why Pillen twice sent the State Patrol, including its drone unit, and the National Guard to the southern border when crossings were high.
“That’s precisely why Governor Pillen allowed the State Patrol to go down to the border twice to help with the enforcement there when things were still out of control at the border,” Kelly said. “In particular, our drone unit was involved in that enforcement down there when things were still bad. And the number of drugs that they hauled in every day was just astounding.”
While crime rates are down in Nebraska in many categories, Kelly said there is no “peace dividend.”
“There is no peace dividend fighting crime. If you lay down your guard when things get a little better statistically, you’ll find yourself in real trouble down the line,” he said. “You never take the eye off the ball.”
He added that when crime falls, “you have to knock people away to keep them from the podium,” and when it rises, “you can’t find anybody to talk about it.” Top among the reasons numbers stay down, he said, are “folks in uniform” finding crime and apprehending offenders.
Update On New Prison Near Lincoln
Kelly also detailed the replacement prison under construction north of Interstate 80 and east of 70th Street in northeast Lincoln. He said the $313 million facility is under budget and on schedule for a 2028 opening. It will replace the aging Nebraska State Penitentiary, which houses about 1,280 inmates at 14th Street and Highway 2 in Lincoln.
Kelly said the new campus will be roomier, safer for staff and inmates, better lit and quieter, with more classroom and vocational space aimed at cutting recidivism.
“It is roomier. It is safer for our officials who work in those prisons, and that is important. It is safer for the inmates. It has a lot of light that you often don’t see in an institution like that. Acoustically, the sound is much better than a lot of those places. And so it doesn’t feel as institutional.”
Kelly also highlighted classroom space, and other amenities that would potentially help rehabilitate inmates and reduce recidivism. The current three-year return-to-system rate is about 27%, which Kelly called good compared with other jurisdictions.
“27% as compared to other jurisdictions around the country and around the state is very good,” Kelly said. “You’ll see 30-35% of those who are walking out [in other states] will be back.”
The total state prison population is roughly 5,200, including about 320 women at York. Kelly said this was well below projections from a decade ago, which had the system heading toward 6,200–6,500. Jail numbers in the counties, he added, “don’t look too bad right now.”
Concerns Over Drone Attacks
Kelly closed with the worry that drones could deliver weapons, phones, or drugs into prisons. Kelly noted that while restricted airspace around a penitentiary helps, “I wouldn’t bet my money on that.”
Kelly also expressed concern over the potential use of drones to attack crowded, open-air venues like Memorial Stadium in a terrorist attack—specifically that federal law currently does not allow local law enforcement to engage directly with such drones.
“Currently, under the entire federal regulatory system, our officers are not allowed to take a shotgun or anything else and shoot that drone out of the air,” Kelly said. “Now, of course, they would—Our Nebraska officers would do what they need to do to protect us … if I watch this drone going towards whatever, I’m probably not gonna be inclined to call the federal government to ask for help.”
The FBI is now starting a certification process so some local officers can be trained to handle them.
On to November
Kelly has served with Pillen for the past four years, presiding over the Unicameral as lieutenant governor. Pillen confirmed last month that Kelly would remain his running mate as they head into the general election.
Election Day is November 3.
— Matt Johnson is a freelance reporter with The Plains Sentinel.