FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel sat down with Sheriff Wagner, Chief Deputy Houchin, and Captain Vik to discuss the Federal Bureau of Investigation and how it functions locally within the Omaha Field Office which extends across Nebraska and Iowa. Gene discussed the FBI's mission, priorities, threats, and partnerships with state and local agencies right here in Lancaster County.

Sheriff Wagner shares highlights and statistics from 2023 in his State of the Office review. Personnel updates. Service Awards. Division statistics.

Josh Planos serves as the VP of Communications & Public Relations for the Midwest Plains chapter of the Better Business Bureau. In this episode, Josh joined Captain Vik, Sheriff Wagner, and Sara Sump to discuss how consumers can protect themselves against scams and deceptive business practices.

Josh's background. The Better Business Bureau - origins, mission, and services. Law enforcement impersonation. Frequent types of scams. What you can do. BBB's ScamTracker. LSO/BBB partnership. Programming for businesses and consumers.

Sgt. Drew Bolzer returned to the show to talk about LSO's Crash Reconstruction Team which he oversees. Listen in as he visits with Sheriff Wagner, Chief Deputy Houchin, and Captain Vik about the training and expert skills of traffic crash reconstructionists right here at the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office.

Drew's path to crash reconstruction. Crashes vs. Accidents. Training. Equipment. Math & Physics. Vehicle autopsies. Airbag Control Modules. Academic Partnerships.

LSO leverages technology to combat crime and enhance public safety in Lancaster County. Law enforcement uses License Plate Reader (LPR) technology to take pictures of vehicle license plates which are then compared to existing law enforcement databases of Amber Alerts, stolen vehicles, and vehicles wanted in connection with criminal activity. In this episode, Sgt. Jason Mayo sat down with Sheriff Wagner, Chief Deputy Houchin, and Captain Vik to address what the technology does and, more importantly, what it doesn't. Sgt. Mayo addressed several of the myths and misconceptions that have circulated about LPRs and their use in law enforcement to help you understand how and why they can make Lancaster County safer.

Captain Vik looks back at 2023 with help from three law enforcement colleagues. Chris Golden serves as the Assistant Chief of Police at the Bartlett Police Department in Bartlett, TN. Josh Jefferson is a Division Chief with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) stationed in the Washington DC area. Steve Robson is a Colonel with the Broward County Sheriff's Office in Fort Lauderdale, FL. In this episode, the group will look back on successes and wins from their respective agencies in 2023 and look ahead to challenges waiting in 2024.

Merry Christmas from all of us at the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office! Our gift to you is a recap of the top ten 902 Podcast episodes from 2023. But first, we snuck in a little blooper reel for your enjoyment. After listening to clips from the top ten episodes, be sure to stick around for a recording of the poem, "My Christmas Eve" as read by the author, retired Ohio State Trooper Bob Welsh. Thank you to Trooper Welsh for providing LSO with permission to share this great holiday poem. To listen to his original recording, check out his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xObw8jdvH4s. We hope you and yours have a safe and happy holiday season!

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994 provided additional funding and resources to law enforcement agencies, which allowed them to dedicate personnel and programs to better serve crime victims of domestic assault, child abuse, and sexual assault. LSO has assigned a full-time investigator to these cases ever since. In this episode, Investigator Joanna Dimas sits down with Sheriff Wagner, Chief Deputy Houchin, and Captain Vik to discuss the program, her role, and how it makes a difference to victims in Lancaster County.

Joanna's background. Coming to LSO. What is VAWA? Funding. Types of cases. A day in her shoes. Training. Human Trafficking. Interacting with BraveBe. Joanna's why. Keeping Lancaster County safer.

Research has shown that suicide survivors are at an elevated risk for suicide themselves when compared to the general population. That's something that Local Outreach to Suicide Loss Survivors (LOSS) wanted to address and a Nebraska team was started in 2009. In this episode, Nebraska LOSS Team founder Dr. Don Belau and LOSS team member Cynthia Surrounded sit down with Sheriff Wagner, Chief Deputy Houchin, and Captain Vik for a very informative discussion about how the LOSS Team serves the Lincoln and Lancaster County area.

Introductions. What is a LOSS Team? How LOSS came to be. Membership. How LOSS works for suicide loss survivors. Why? Postvention. How to engage LOSS services. How you can get involved.