Imagine your child’s school receives a suspicious message, a small business owner notices someone lingering on their security camera footage, or you see a concerning post in a community Facebook group. On their own, these pieces of information might not seem like a big deal. But put together, they could help law enforcement prevent a crime, find a suspect, or protect an innocent child.
Making those connections is what the Nebraska Information Analysis Center (NIAC) does every day.
Operated by the Nebraska State Patrol, the NIAC helps law enforcement agencies across our state share information with one another and with federal, tribal, and private-sector partners. Their goal is to ensure that information gathered in one Nebraska community gets where it needs to go if it could help solve or prevent a crime somewhere else.
Recently, I visited the NIAC Fusion Center in Lincoln to see that work firsthand. I received a briefing from its impressive team, toured the facility, and visited its computer crime lab, where investigators use cutting-edge technology to extract large amounts of information from electronic devices such as phones, tablets, and laptops, to solve complex crimes.
This statewide cooperation is especially important for smaller and rural communities. A local police department might not have the expensive software or expert analyst it needs to crack these cases. NIAC helps bridge that gap by connecting law enforcement across the state and getting useful information into the right hands.
This type of work requires specific tools and technology. That is why I have used my role on the Senate Appropriations Committee to direct federal tax dollars Nebraskans already send to Washington back home to support efforts like these.
Earlier this year, I secured $176,000 for the Nebraska State Patrol to strengthen its efforts to identify and arrest child predators. Those funds are helping upgrade technology that investigators use to analyze tips faster, share information across jurisdictions, and identify suspects.
I’ve also supported federal funding for Nebraska through the State Homeland Security Program. Two years ago, I voted for the Homeland Security Appropriations Act, which included $468 million for this program. From those funds, $4.36 million was awarded to our state. This included over $530,000 for a statewide information and intelligence-sharing initiative supporting NIAC’s fusion center mission.
You can play a role in advancing this important mission, too.
It might be surprising what information you see or hear could be useful to investigators. A concerning email, phone call, social media post, or camera footage could provide an important piece of a big puzzle. If something concerns you, you can directly report suspicious activity at sars.nebraska.gov. You can also contact the Fusion Center 24 hours a day at (402) 479-4049 or nefusioncenter@nebraska.gov.
There’s a reason we often hear “if you see something, say something.” Criminals don’t stop at county lines, and the information that helps catch them doesn’t either. By making sure a tip from one community can reach law enforcement in another, NIAC helps Nebraska’s dedicated officers work in tandem to protect our families and keep our communities safe. I am very grateful for their professionalism and dedication.
Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.