Agency officials say current jail layout creates safety risks and hinders recruitment

Agency officials described a string of safety and operational problems in the countylaw enforcement center and jail and said a new facility with improved layout and systems would reduce risks and ease staffing burdens.

A staff member said the gym layout and a narrow stairway create acute safety hazards during inmate medical events or fights. "We have to physically drag, take them up the stairs, which is a huge safety risk in a narrow stairway," the staff member said, arguing that moving inmates on cramped stairs sometimes requires additional deputies from outside and prevents safe confinement on-site.

Another staff member said poor camera coverage leaves individual cells out of view and described a preference for fewer isolated cells and more open dorm-style bunks to reduce blind spots and improve supervision.

"You cannot see into any of the cell block cells themselves," the staff member said, adding that a new layout with larger open areas and a gym closer to cells would let the existing house staff monitor inmate movement from a single location and manage more inmates without adding personnel.

Officials also urged automated security systems. One staff member said remote door control systems, managed from a control center, would reduce staff exposure during inmate movement and lower the risk that inmates could seize keys and access restricted areas.

Recruitment and first impressions were a separate concern. An agency official described bringing job candidates into cramped basement areas and into the sheriffs former living quarters for uniform fittings, calling the current spaces "just not a good look for our office." The official said those conditions harm the agency's ability to attract applicants.

Officials flagged the sally port as a limiting factor for secure intake. "Its not solely dedicated to bringing in arrestees," an agency official said, explaining that an x-ray scanner and vehicle maintenance uses occupy much of the space, leaving room for only one patrol car at a time and forcing extra arrestees to wait outside.

Officials also said the facility lacks a dedicated training space for department-wide in-service trainings that are required by Nebraska state statute, forcing them to borrow local businessesspace for defensive tactics and other mandatory sessions.

On investigations, an agency official said the current layout does not support modern evidence handling, including charging and storage for digital devices, which requires additional space, outlets and secure technology not currently available.

No formal decision or vote was recorded in the interview; officials described needs and design priorities they said should be addressed in planning a replacement law enforcement center.

The discussion closed with officials emphasizing layout, security systems and dedicated training and evidence-processing areas as priorities if a new facility moves forward.