The Omaha Police Department’s non-emergency number is (402) 444-5600.1Omaha Police Department. Reporting Resources That switchboard connects you to menu options for administrative questions, low-priority incident reports, and police records requests.2Omaha Police Department. OPD Phone Directory Use it when the danger has passed and no one is hurt. Anything else, call 911.
When to Call 911 Instead
Before you dial the non-emergency line, make sure the situation doesn’t actually need an emergency response. OPD says to call 911 whenever a suspect is still in the area, someone has physical injuries, or there is evidence at the scene that needs to be collected, such as items left behind by a suspect, blood, or obvious fingerprints.3Omaha Police Department. Non-emergency Minor Property Crime / Telephone Report Any crime in progress is a 911 call. The non-emergency line cannot dispatch officers, so if you need someone at the scene right now, 911 is the only option.
Serious crimes also require a direct police response rather than a phoned-in or online report. OPD lists sexual assault, robbery, burglary, assault with injury, domestic violence, and missing persons as incidents that cannot be handled through non-emergency reporting.3Omaha Police Department. Non-emergency Minor Property Crime / Telephone Report If you aren’t sure which line fits your situation, call 911. Dispatchers can redirect you if the situation turns out to be non-urgent.
What the Non-Emergency Line Handles
The non-emergency number fits situations where the danger has passed and no one is in immediate harm. Common examples are property crimes discovered after the fact: theft from a vehicle you find in the morning, vandalism to your car overnight, a package stolen from your porch hours earlier. The suspect is long gone, and nothing time-sensitive is left for an officer to act on.
OPD identifies these types of incidents as appropriate for non-emergency telephone reporting:
- Destruction of property, such as damage to a vehicle, building, or belongings
- Theft of property that did not involve a break-in
- Theft from a vehicle where the suspect is no longer present3Omaha Police Department. Non-emergency Minor Property Crime / Telephone Report
Reports like these still matter. Theft of property worth $500 or less is a Class II misdemeanor under Nebraska law, carrying a maximum penalty of six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.4Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Code 28-518 – Grading of Theft Offenses; Aggregation Allowed; When5Nebraska Legislature. Nebraska Code 28-106 – Misdemeanors; Classification of Penalties; Sentences; Where Served Filing a report creates a record precinct detectives can use if a pattern emerges or the stolen property surfaces later.
Things That Go to Other Agencies
Not everything that feels like a police matter goes through OPD. Traffic and parking complaints go to the Mayor’s Hotline rather than the non-emergency police line.6Omaha Police Department. Non-emergency OPD Citizen Online Reporting System Animal complaints, including barking dogs, stray animals, and animal mistreatment, go through the Nebraska Humane Society, which is contracted by the City of Omaha to handle animal control. Its number is (402) 444-7800, ext. 1, and officers patrol seven days a week from 8 a.m. to midnight.7Nebraska Humane Society. Animal Control For dangerous animals, dog bites, or large wildlife like mountain lions, call 911.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
A few details gathered before you dial will save time for both you and the person taking the report. At minimum, know the exact address where the incident happened and roughly when it occurred. Dispatchers use that to route the report to the correct precinct.
If property was stolen, serial numbers are the single most useful thing you can provide. Without one, a recovered laptop or bike is nearly impossible to match back to your case. Check original packaging, receipts, or your email for purchase confirmations. For vehicle-related incidents, have the license plate number, make, model, and color ready.
Suspect descriptions help too, but be specific. “A guy in a hoodie” doesn’t narrow anything down. Approximate height, build, hair color, tattoos, facial hair, direction of travel, and whether the person left on foot or in a vehicle are all worth noting. Concrete details during the initial call make the report more useful if detectives pick it up later.
Filing a Report Online Instead
OPD’s Citizen Online Reporting System lets you file certain non-emergency reports from your computer without calling at all. The system covers destruction of property, lost or missing property, fraud and identity theft, trespassing, harassment, shoplifting, and other non-emergency incidents.8Omaha Police Department. Electronic Filing
Two conditions have to be true to use it: the incident is not an emergency, and it occurred within Omaha city limits.6Omaha Police Department. Non-emergency OPD Citizen Online Reporting System If the crime happened in Bellevue, Papillion, or another neighboring city, you’ll need to contact that jurisdiction’s police department.
The portal walks you through several screens where you enter the incident details. When you finish, it generates a tracking number and lets you print a temporary copy of the report.6Omaha Police Department. Non-emergency OPD Citizen Online Reporting System That temporary copy is not your final report. OPD reviews all online submissions, and if staff need more information, they will contact you. Hold onto the tracking number until you receive confirmation that the report is finalized. The temporary printout is generally not sufficient for insurance claims, so wait for the official version before filing with your insurer.
Getting a Copy of Your Report
Once a report is in the system, you can request a copy through the Records Unit at OPD headquarters, located at 15th and Howard Street. The office is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week.9Omaha Police Department. Request Records or Reports Wait at least five working days after filing before requesting your copy. A paper copy of an Omaha police report costs $5.
You can also reach the Records Unit by phone at (402) 444-5600.2Omaha Police Department. OPD Phone Directory If you filed online, have the tracking number or case number ready to speed things up.
Anonymous Tips
If you have information about a crime but don’t want to give your name, Omaha Crime Stoppers runs a separate channel from OPD’s reporting lines. Call (402) 444-STOP (7867) or text “OPD” followed by your tip to CRIMES (274637).10Omaha Police Department. Submit a Tip about a Crime Tips that lead to an arrest can qualify for a cash reward of up to $1,000.