Gregory Gonzalez: A Top Cop for the People

Omaha – Gregory Gonzalez, a Goodrich alumnus, is a recipient of the 2017 CPACS Alumni Award. Greg is an Omaha native whose 24-year (and counting) professional law enforcement career has led him to a deputy chief position in the Omaha Police Department, which has about 800 sworn officers. Greg also serves on numerous policing and community governing boards.

Greg launched his law enforcement career in 1993 with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, where he worked uniformed patrol and on a federal narcotics task force. He transferred to the Omaha Police Department in 1995 and has worked in two of the police department’s highest high-profile units, the gang unit and undercover narcotics unit.

Greg’s previous leadership roles include commander of the Traffic Unit, commander of Criminal Investigations Bureau Investigations Units. As deputy police chief, Greg is assigned to the Executive Services Bureau, where he oversees the Training Unit and Crime Prevention Unit and school resource program. Greg oversees the department’s Research and Planning Unit, and is responsible for maintaining its CALEA certification. In addition, he oversees the hiring of new police recruits.

In addition to attaining a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice and a Master of Public Administration, Greg is an adjunct police academy instructor and has taught over 300 officers Command Spanish for Omaha police recruits. Greg is also an adjunct instructor at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he teaches criminal justice courses. Greg’s educational highlights include experiencing the curricular and extracurricular activities of the Goodrich Scholarship Program, which enhanced his understanding of how self-development, diversity, and community involvement play key roles in a democracy.

Active in the Omaha community where he was raised, Greg serves on many governing boards, including the Midwest Mentoring Project (MMP) and the Police Athletics for Community Engagement (P.A.C.E.). P.A.C.E. sponsors the free youth soccer and baseball program that serves over 2,000 youth in the summer months, a time when at-risk youth are most vulnerable. Greg is a supporter of community outreach efforts and understands the importance of mentoring youth and building tomorrow’s future. Greg is past president of the Nebraska Chapter of the National Latino Police Officers Association (NLPOA).

For his work, Greg has received many awards including the high intensity drug trafficking case of the year award, police sergeant and captain of the month, and Project Extra Mile Law Enforcement Officer Award of Excellence in 2010. He was selected as Omaha’s Latino of the Year in 2012 for his participation in the department’s police athletic league. Recently, Greg won a community service award for his work with area youth; this service was described as “above and beyond the call of duty.”

Congratulations to Goodrich alumus, Gregory Gonzalez, the 2017 CPACS Alumni Award recipient.