2 weeks Ago
The most serious types of crime dropped to a 20-year-low in Lincoln last year, a 7% drop in so-called Part 1 crime powered by double-digit reductions in reported rapes, robberies and thefts. And Lincoln police had their highest clearance rate — meaning police solved the case — since 2010, clearing almost 54% of violent crimes and just under 30% of all Part 1 crimes, a 10% increase from 2023. That was the good news delivered in the Lincoln Police Department’s annual report released April 10.
But the other news delivered that day is that Capt. Jake Dilsaver, the head of the Special Victims Unit, has been removed from command amid pending lawsuits against the city, alleging LPD has been a toxic workplace. Details of the dismissal of Dilsaver, who was named in lawsuits, was not revealed as a personnel matter.
But it was a reminder that LPD must be as transparent as possible as it works through the lingering allegations. People are also reading..
. Asked at the news conference on the report about continuing lawsuits that preceded her tenure, Police Chief Michon Morrow spoke of changes within the organization to make sure officers and staff have the ability to provide feedback and create a culture that values and respects all employees. More specifics on these listening sessions -- and their potential impact on the department's culture -- would reassure the community that is policed by LPD that change is indeed happening.
The news conference also allowed Morrow, who has been chief for two years, to talk about the work of the 500 department employees, who cleared cases at a higher rate in 2024 in nearly every category, even those that traditionally have low clearance rates, like theft from autos and auto theft. The latter is one of just three crime categories that saw increases last year, along with aggravated assaults, including domestic assaults and burglaries. LPD handled close to 100 more aggravated assaults than last year, 160 more DUIs and 18 more auto thefts.
There was also a 5% increase in mental health calls last year, highlighting the new program with CenterPointe that sends therapists with police on those calls. On the political front, the drop in Part 1 crimes and the high clearance rate clearly goes against claims in the 2023 mayoral campaign that portrayed Lincoln as a crime-ridden city. For the truth is, as Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said at the news conference, “Today, we live in one of the safest capital cities in the country.
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