Lincoln police recruits campus students

The Lincoln Police Department conducted a recruitment operation during some justice studies classes Monday at CSC. 

Lincoln Police Officer Jason Hellmuth spoke with students about his work and what it takes to be a law enforcement officer during Justice Studies Professor Jamie Wada’s classes. 

Later in the day, students had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Hellmuthth if they wanted. 

The visit was the first recruiting visit to the school for Hellmuth, who said it was only fair for him to travel to Chadron. 

“We’re seven hours away; I can’t expect you to make the trip so maybe I should,” Hellmuth said. 

He says he hopes to make a more lasting connection with the school and possibly make another trip to Chadron in the fall. 

“I think that we as a department probably have some goals to try and create a more permanent connection,” he said.  

Hellmuth has 31 years of law enforcement experience including time as a jail officer before joining LPD in 2000. Since then, he has served various assignments with the department. 

“I’ve been a little bit of everything,” he said. “I’ve been an investigator, I’m a crime scene investigator, I’ve been an education and personnel officer before, and I’ve done this same assignment once before.” 

Much of his current assignment consists of training department officers. 

“Currently I am assigned as an education personnel officer,” he said. “That means I am the continuing education and community services officer. I also currently am assigned to the crime scene unit for the police department, and I am an academy in-service instructor – meaning I teach senior cops and cops-to-be.” 

He brought his experience to discuss with students what law enforcement agencies look for in their recruits and current officers-in-training.  

“I love teaching new cops. Giving them the little bit of insight that I can give them about what they’re going to have to do.” 

That insight includes three pieces of advice to students looking for a career in law enforcement. 

“The ability to communicate, honesty and creativeness,” he said. “Those three things – when I sit down with a person to interview them for the job, they can impress me and show me that they have great grades, they have this and they have that – show me something that sets you apart from great grades.” 

Asked what a common issue for new officers is, he said a propensity to rush through situations can cause new officers to make mistakes.  

“There is a push to go to a call, get it done and go to the next one,” he said. “Good or bad, for some that doesn’t work, but some hurry too fast and that’s kind of where I see things going bad. The ones I’ve always had to correct, I’ve literally had to reign in; slow down, think about what you’re going to go do – especially in tense situations, physical situations.” 

Among other things learned through his experience as a police officer is the importance of caring about the job. 

“I have had so many experiences that make me realize just how much of a benefit having somebody who cares about the job in this position is to the community as a whole.” 

To him, that community appreciates the benefit served by law enforcement.  

“Even after the summer of riots, our city overall respects us and appreciates what we do, and we appreciate them.”