South Sioux City Police hosted this year's State FOP conference
SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (KCAU) — South Sioux City was the host to dozens of law enforcement officers from across Nebraska for the Fraternal Order of Police State Conference.
The event lets officers connect with others and learn about recent legislation. Several speakers spoke on how the murder of George Floyd in 2020 caused a shift in attitudes towards police, but that shift was less than negative in Nebraska.
'We know that the support from law enforcement, especially across the state, has actually grown because of that,' said Sgt. Anthony Conner, the Nebraska Fraternal Order of Police president. 'I think people saw how tough our job is because it was on the front cover of every paper, and [the] top story of every news. So they saw how tough our job was, so support has actually grown.'
Story continues below
Top Story: McCook Lake residents in need of more dirt to rebuild homes
Lights & Sirens: Traffic violation scam alarms Siouxlanders; police issue alert
Sports: Bishop Heelan girls soccer drops 1A State semifinal match to Davenport Assumption in 1-0 defeat
Weather: Get the latest weather forecast here
However, retaining and recruiting officers in the state remains an issue. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed a bill that aims to help retain officers. It makes tuition waivers available to first responders going to community college. Governor Pillen said several bills were passed to help law enforcement.
'One of the things that's been a big priority for us is that we increase the pay, you know, as so recruitment and enhance recruitment is making a tangible number of gains and results,' said Pillen
The Governor also praised Nebraska's law enforcement officers. Pillen says he's already planning to bring a bill to support them even more for next year's session.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Nebraska woman sentenced to 25 years following 2nd degree murder
WINNEBAGO, Neb. (KCAU) — A Winnebago, Nebraska, woman has been sentenced in federal court after being found guilty of 2nd degree murder. A district judge sentenced 50-year-old Michelle Marr to 25 years in prison for the murder and 20 years for tampering with evidence. The sentences will run at the same time. Story continues below Top Story: Local band to be featured on Saturday in the Park Main Stage Lights & Sirens: Part of roof collapses during fire at Dakota City boat dealer Sports: Falcons fly to history! West Sioux boys soccer wins first-ever IHSAA State title with 2-1 OT win against Van Meter Weather: Get the latest weather forecast here Following her incarceration, Marr will serve five years of supervised release. On March 12, 2022, Marr called 1st responders to her home concerning a man not waking up. He was taken to a Winnebago hospital, then flown to one in Sioux City. Authorities say nurses noted excessive makeup covering up bruising on the man's face. An autopsy determined the man's cause of death was blunt force trauma and a homicide. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Woodbury County performs active threat exercise in preparation for an active shooter
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Woodbury County conducted a full-scale active threat exercise in preparation for an active shooter incident. The official name for the exercise is Operation Blue Eagle, 'So, the biggest goal of this exercise was to ensure that Woodbury County and surrounding organizations are prepared for this type of incident. We want to do everything we possibly can to serve and protect our citizens,' said Michael Montino with Woodbury County Emergency Management. Multiple agencies teamed up to practice what to do in a high-stakes situation. 'What we attempted to do today is empower our first responders,' said Montino. 'Give them the knowledge, the tools, and most importantly, with exercises, the experience to be able to handle an incident like this.' Story continues below Top Story: Local band to be featured on Saturday in the Park Main Stage Lights & Sirens: Part of roof collapses during fire at Dakota City boat dealer Sports: Falcons fly to history! West Sioux boys soccer wins first-ever IHSAA State title with 2-1 OT win against Van Meter Weather: Get the latest weather forecast here And when in a dangerous situation, teamwork is essential in a crisis. 'We've done scenarios like this within our agencies, Sioux City would do theirs. Woodbury County would do ours. It was time for us to do it together in an incident like this, everybody's coming, and we need to train together to save lives,' said Sgt. Chris Jansen with with Woodbury County Sheriff's Office. These training drills are crucial to prevent any potential mistakes. 'These are different situations, different circumstances that help us really capture all of our skills, and put them into action,' said Lt. John Nelsen with the Sioux City Fire and Rescue. 'And we all have some weaknesses, but we build on those weaknesses. That's why we do multiple scenarios.' When Siouxland Christian School was offered to be a part of this scenario, they immediately jumped at the opportunity. 'You know, we've done a lot of planning. We always do. You're never done planning. And this is just another piece of that,' said Nic Scandrett, the superintendent for Siouxland Christian School. 'When you get to see it in a live scenario like this, it really changes everything. Your perspective changes. And that's the biggest thing we learned today.' Even though the drills were at a school, Montino says this works for all locations. 'So even though the scenarios may be slightly different, the concepts are in many ways the same. And again, we did multiple scenarios today, which allowed our first responders to get a chance to practice, maybe some of those different situations,' Montino said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Sherwood Fraternal Order of Police voice support for proposed gun range
Video: New Sherwood development raises concerns in Brushy Island community SHERWOOD, Ark. – A gun range project that has been met with controversy has received the support of the city's Fraternal Order of Police. The shooting range is part of a proposed 22-acre project in the Brushy Island district, which will support an administrative building, a maintenance and operations center, a wash bay, and the police shooting range. The city has broken ground on the project. New Sherwood development raises concerns in Brushy Island community The Sherwood Mathis-Lowe Lodge 15 stated in a Friday announcement that it supports the range. The statement went on to call the range 'imperative' for officer training. 'In previous years, officers have had to travel long distances or to locations with heavy restrictions [to train], preventing us from adequately training on specific techniques,' the announcement states. 'Our officers must be adequately trained in the best techniques to keep the public safe and violent crime out of our city.' The FOP also thanked Mayor Heye-Townsell and the Sherwood City Council for their support of the project. Some residents of the unincorporated Brushy Island have expressed concern about the project's impact and the safety considerations of the range. Fireworks & Foodtrucks celebration returns to Sherwood on July 3 Heye-Townsell, who said previously that the project has been in the works since 2023, and Sherwood Police Chief Jeff Hagar have said the range is designed with safety in mind. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.