SUPERINTENDENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY

Colonel David A. Sankey was commissioned as an officer with the Nebraska State Patrol on December 11, 1987. He began his career in Field Operations serving as a Trooper in the Omaha area where he specialized in Accident Reconstruction.  He was later promoted to Sergeant in Field Operations in the Lincoln area.  Colonel Sankey has served the agency in many capacities to include; Commander of the Internal Affairs Division, the Professional Standards Division, and as Liaison to the Nebraska Unicameral and Governor's Office.

In 2006, he was appointed to serve as the Major in charge of the Investigative Services Division, where he oversaw the operations of Criminal and Drug Investigations, as well as, the State Crime Laboratory and the State Fusion Center, the Nebraska Information and Analysis Center.  On January 1, 2009, Colonel Sankey was appointed by Colonel Bryan Tuma to serve as the Assistant Superintendent where he served until his appointment to Superintendent by Governor Dave Heineman on March 2, 2011.

Colonel Sankey is a 1986 graduate of the University of Nebraska Kearney where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. Colonel Sankey is a graduate of the 215th Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. During his more than 24 years with the Agency he has had the opportunity to attend a number of law enforcement and command development courses which have helped shape his career. In 2009, Colonel Sankey completed the IACP sponsored Leadership in Police Organizations program.

Colonel Sankey serves on many boards and committees to include: the Nebraska Crime Commission, the Nebraska Interstate Compact Sate Council, the Advisory Council to the Office of Violence Prevention and the Governor's Homeland Security Policy Group.  He is a past Chairman of the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Executive Committee, and the Police Standards Advisory Council.  Colonel Sankey is active with the State and Provincial Division of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) where he currently serves as a member of the Homeland Security Committee.

He and his wife Colleen have been married for 23-years. They have two son’s and one daughter.

Lieutenant Colonel

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Schwarten was commissioned as an officer with the Nebraska State Patrol on December 11, 1987. Before accepting promotion to his current rank, Lieutenant Colonel Schwarten served as the Administrative Services Major for the Nebraska State Patrol.

Lieutenant Colonel Schwarten’s first duty assignment following his graduation from the Nebraska State Patrol Training Academy in December 1987 was with the Field Services Division stationed in Syracuse, Nebraska. In November 1995, he accepted a promotion to the rank of Sergeant and was transferred to the Investigative Services Division, Troop D-North Platte. In May 2000, he received a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant in Field Services, Troop A-Omaha, where he remained until accepting the promotion to Captain in June 2005. In February 2009, Lieutenant Colonel Schwarten was promoted to the rank of Major for Administrative Services at State Headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Lieutenant Colonel Schwarten is a March 2004 graduate of the School of Police Staff & Command at the Center for Public Safety of Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois and is certified as a Drug Recognition Expert and Drug Recognition Expert Instructor through the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He was appointed to the Police Standards Advisory Council by Governor Dave Heineman and serves on the Minority Justice Committee.

He and his wife Kimberly have two children, a daughter and a son.