On 20 February 2026, Mike McKnight reported for WOWT that the Omaha Police Department has eliminated its requirement that applicants submit to polygraph screening. This short article is cited here in full:
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The Omaha Police Department has eliminated one of its requirements for hiring new recruits — the polygraph test, commonly known as a lie detector.
The decision comes after internal evaluations and a review of hiring practices used by agencies across the country.
Even without a polygraph test, Omaha police say there’s still an extensive investigation into multiple aspects of a candidate’s background.
Recruits are also constantly being evaluated during the 22 weeks of academy training and another 15 weeks of shadowing a veteran officer on the street.
Other agencies maintain requirement
Other agencies in the area still require polygraph tests. Lincoln Police, Nebraska State Patrol, Sarpy and Douglas County sheriff’s departments still give polygraph tests to all law enforcement applicants.
The sheriffs in Douglas and Sarpy counties say veteran officers wanting to make a lateral move to their departments must also take a polygraph test.
OPD says it’s currently 92 officers short of its authorized strength of 906 officers.
AntiPolygraph.org contacted the Omaha Police Department’s Public Information Office seeking comment on the policy considerations that led to this decision and asking whether applicants previously disqualified based solely on polygraph results would be eligible to reapply for OPD employment.
Lieutenant Neal Bonacci replied, “We appreciate you reaching out to us. However, we are going to pass on this opportunity. You’re welcome to reference the WOWT article for any further information. Sorry for any inconvenience. Thank you!”