March 5, 2012: Omaha Police Chief Alex Hayes will be retiring after two and half years as head of the Police Department. The Chief, who has been with Omaha Police for more than 25 years, informed Mayor Suttle today that he would retire March 30, 2012.
“Chief Hayes has been an asset to this community and he will be greatly missed,” said Mayor Suttle. “He has set a standard for public safety that we will continue to model in his absence. We will work with the Chief and his leadership team to maintain continuity during this transition so residents can be sure that our streets and neighborhoods remain safe.”
“My decision to retire at this time was personal and was not an easy decision to make,” said Police Chief Alex Hayes. “I will be working with my staff, community leaders, and the Mayor’s office to make sure there is a smooth transition for the community at large. It has been a privilege to work for the citizens of Omaha.”
“Under Chief Hayes’ leadership the police department has embraced community policing and worked successfully to collaborate with community organizations and neighborhood associations throughout the city to lower the rate of violent crime and get illegal guns off the streets,” said Mayor Suttle. “He has done a lot to improve citizen outreach in our community and those efforts will continue.”
According to Mayor Suttle, Hayes was willing to look at internal procedural changes and the reallocation of personnel in order to make the police department more efficient in managing resources and crime in Omaha. Chief Hayes made improvements in technology, such as reestablishing cameras in cruisers and implementing the Shot Spotter system which allows officers to respond instantly to the exact location of shots fired in the city. This has assisted officers in making arrests and getting guns off the streets.
Chief Hayes also enhanced the risk management program, putting more resources in place as well as creating new checks and balances for officers, improving their ability to do their jobs more effectively, and reducing public complaints. The Omaha Police department, with Chief Hayes’ leadership, is continuing its efforts to be more transparent by working to make non-tactical police procedures available to the public.
The Mayor will appoint an acting Chief between now and March 30th.
