For inquiries, please call our front office at 402-444-6641. During the 1800's migration westward, many of the people making the long trip from the eastern part of the country decided to stop in the young territory of Nebraska on the western banks of the Missouri River. Douglas County began to grow and the people of the area wanted someone to protect them from outsiders and themselves. This need b
rought about the Sheriff of Douglas County and his Deputies. The first Sheriff appointed was P.G. Peterson. The first Sheriff elected was Cameron Reeves on October 8, 1856. Reeves took office in January 1857. There have been 31 Sheriffs for Douglas County; the first five prior to Nebraska's statehood. The current Sheriff, Aaron W. Hanson, began his term on January 5th, 2023. Today, with a population of 571,327, Douglas County has the largest population of all 93 counties in Nebraska, and includes the state's largest city. Douglas County covers 331 square miles bordered by the Missouri River on the east, Platte River on the west, Dutch Hall Road on the north and Harrison Street on the south. The County operates under a board of seven elected commissioners. The department employs 213 personnel, 141 sworn officers and 97 civilian employees, making it the largest Sheriff's Office in the state. The personnel deliver the full range of law enforcements services, including:
Patrol
Criminal investigations
Prisoner transportation
Courthouse/civic center security
Civil process
Foreclosure proceedings
Warrant service
Mental health and protective order service
S*x offender monitoring
Tax collection
Crime lab and forensic services
The department became nationally accredited in 2005 by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
