Police Officer of the Year

Officer John Hudec, a 16-year veteran of the Lincoln Police Department, was nominated as the 2020 Officer of the Year.  Officer Hudec’s current assignment is to the Lancaster County Criminal Interdiction Task Force and patrols the portion of Interstate 80 that runs through Lincoln and Lancaster County.

 

In 2019, Officer Hudec seized over $1 million in U.S. currency, over seven hundred pounds of marijuana, thirty pounds of shatter, nearly two pounds of cocaine, 54.5 grams of meth, a pound of Psilocybin mushrooms and over 3500 THC vape cartridges.  In addition, Hudec seized eight firearms, over one hundred fraudulent credit cards and nearly $14,000 in stolen goods, paraphernalia, THC oils, wax and concentrate, prescription pills and counterfeit money that was found to be used for a drug rip off.

 

These numbers don’t include any of the investigations from traffic stops where he worked with other departments who profited from the seizure of narcotics or money.  These seizures included a single stop with nearly 170 pounds of marijuana and two stops in which he seized $148,980 and $139,037 respectively.  His three-year total saw a massive $3,137,285 in seized currency and over 3,000 pounds of confiscated marijuana.

 

Hudec’s dedication to his duties are demonstrated daily through his attention to detail in report documentation and on the road, looking for stops.  Judges and prosecutors have praised his detailed reports.  He routinely comes in on his days off to prepare for court, finish up other reports or make a stop for another out-of-state agency.

 

Officer Hudec continues to seek out training and is in contact with other interdiction officers throughout the nation to ensure his is up to date with the latest trafficking trends and techniques of enforcement.  In April 2019, he attended the National Interdiction Conference in Kansas City, where he was named the Interdiction Officer of the Year for 2018 and earned the Desert Snow “Relentless Award” for having one of the top seizures of 2018.  The Lancaster County Interdiction Unit, as a whole, won the Homeland Security Investigations Bulk Cash currency award.  This shows he is not just good at his job, but at the top of his field.

 

John is constantly looking to improve on practices and equipment.  In November 2019, he stopped, and later arrested, two parties (one, a felon) with  seven firearms and over a gram of methamphetamine.  Upon later reviewing his in-car cruiser video, he saw that while the two detainees were in the rear seat of his cruiser, they were planning to assault him.  One was observed to lean through the cage out of the back seat area and reached for the door handle.  Upon learning of this officer safety issue, he worked with the fleet garage to install metal bars across the opening in all of LPD’s cruisers.  His goal was to prevent any future attacks on officers.

 

John possesses an innate ability to recognize vehicles that are transporting narcotics and weapons through this area.  His numbers over the past three years – and especially those in 2019 – are outstanding and are a true testament to his dedication and work ethic. 

 

Union Bank donated $250.00 to the Pieloch Adoption Center in Officer John Hudec’s name.  Lincoln East Rotary Club gave Officer Hudec a check for $100 and a plaque.