InterLinc: City of Lincoln: Police Dept

The Lincoln Police Department is proud to announce Sergeant Michael Bassett as its 2008 Officer of the Year. Sergeant Bassett, a 27 year veteran of the department, is currently assigned as the Southwest Team night shift supervisor. He is responsible for overseeing the most active team within the Department. During his years of service, Sergeant Bassett has been a cruiser officer on all shifts as well as a downtown bike patrol officer. He is also a member and supervisor of several specialized units on the department including supervisor and coordinator for the Lancaster County Clandestine Laboratory Team, supervisor of the Field Force Unit, supervisor of the Honor Guard as well as being a Certified Crime Scene Technician. Sergeant Bassett is a graduate of the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Psychology. In December of 2007, he earned a Masters Degree in Secondary Education and recently obtained his teaching certificate. Because of his vast knowledge and experience, Mike has been called upon by the department and members of the community as a lecturer and instructor. He has been a guest lecturer for the UNL Sociology Department and the Nebraska Wesleyan University Criminal Justice Department. He is a certified instructor through the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center and is an LPD Basic Recruit Academy Instructor and often provides in-service training for veteran officers. He has been sought by numerous community groups to speak on topics such as methamphetamine, meth labs, prostitution and street crimes. Not only does he leave his LPD students greatly informed and eager to put their newly-learned tasks to work, he had the same effect on Mr. Zuspan’s criminal justice class at Lincoln High School. While student teaching there last year, Mike developed a crime scene investigation scenario that was lauded by the students and prompted Mr. Zuspan to comment that, because of that project, Mike has helped bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community. In the summer of 2007, Mike recognized an urgent need to combat the increasing prostitution and pandering problem on the Southwest Team. He contacted other departments to glean information in order to successfully detail a plan to tackle this problem. After sending several female officers to Omaha and Kansas City to train and participate in undercover operations, it was time to put his detail to task back home. As a result of conducting several very dangerous details, over 75 arrests for prostitution and pandering were made. Sergeant Bassett literally began this project from an idea and with comprehensive planning and coordination, has formed a highly successful prostitution enforcement detail. He was also instrumental in coordinating an operation in Wilderness Park that took place in September of 2007 which led to a total of 10 arrests for 3rd Degree Sexual Assault and Indecent Exposure. This project impacted the problem and was a great success because of the work of Sergeant Bassett and the other officers involved. Both of these projects required following very thorough instruction in utilizing body wires, takedown sites, arrest teams, video and audio recordings, pre-detail briefing and legal review. As a result of his detailed planning, Sergeant Bassett was awarded the Mayor’s Award of Excellence for the month of April 2007. He was also presented the LPD Exceptional Duty Award in May 2007 for his work with the Lincoln Metro Clandestine Laboratory Team. In addition, Mike has received numerous commendations from the public and supervisors on the Department. Mike is continuously thinking of new ways to impact crime. That includes becoming involved in a number of community activities, including the Board of Directors for the Matt Talbot Kitchen and Houses of Hope as well as the State Executive Board of Directors for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He’s a member of the International Footprinters Association’s local chapter and a Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Counselor. He is also a dedicated husband and father. Mike leads from the front and would not ask an officer to do anything that he would not be willing to do himself. For the reasons mentioned above, and countless other projects not mentioned here, the Lincoln Police Department is proud to name Sergeant Michael Bassett as the 2008 Officer of the Year.	Sergeant Mike Bassett

The Lincoln Police Department is proud to announce Sergeant Michael Bassett as its 2008 Officer of the Year. Sergeant Bassett, a 27 year veteran of the department, is currently assigned as the Southwest Team night shift supervisor. He is responsible for overseeing the most active team within the Department. During his years of service, Sergeant Bassett has been a cruiser officer on all shifts as well as a downtown bike patrol officer. He is also a member and supervisor of several specialized units on the department including supervisor and coordinator for the Lancaster County Clandestine Laboratory Team, supervisor of the Field Force Unit, supervisor of the Honor Guard as well as being a Certified Crime Scene Technician.

Sergeant Bassett is a graduate of the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Psychology. In December of 2007, he earned a Masters Degree in Secondary Education and recently obtained his teaching certificate. Because of his vast knowledge and experience, Mike has been called upon by the department and members of the community as a lecturer and instructor. He has been a guest lecturer for the UNL Sociology Department and the Nebraska Wesleyan University Criminal Justice Department. He is a certified instructor through the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center and is an LPD Basic Recruit Academy Instructor and often provides in-service training for veteran officers. He has been sought by numerous community groups to speak on topics such as methamphetamine, meth labs, prostitution and street crimes. Not only does he leave his LPD students greatly informed and eager to put their newly-learned tasks to work, he had the same effect on Mr. Zuspan’s criminal justice class at Lincoln High School. While student teaching there last year, Mike developed a crime scene investigation scenario that was lauded by the students and prompted Mr. Zuspan to comment that, because of that project, Mike has helped bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community.

In the summer of 2007, Mike recognized an urgent need to combat the increasing prostitution and pandering problem on the Southwest Team. He contacted other departments to glean information in order to successfully detail a plan to tackle this problem. After sending several female officers to Omaha and Kansas City to train and participate in undercover operations, it was time to put his detail to task back home. As a result of conducting several very dangerous details, over 75 arrests for prostitution and pandering were made. Sergeant Bassett literally began this project from an idea and with comprehensive planning and coordination, has formed a highly successful prostitution enforcement detail. He was also instrumental in coordinating an operation in Wilderness Park that took place in September of 2007 which led to a total of 10 arrests for 3rd Degree Sexual Assault and Indecent Exposure. This project impacted the problem and was a great success because of the work of Sergeant Bassett and the other officers involved. Both of these projects required following very thorough instruction in utilizing body wires, takedown sites, arrest teams, video and audio recordings, pre-detail briefing and legal review. As a result of his detailed planning, Sergeant Bassett was awarded the Mayor’s Award of Excellence for the month of April 2007. He was also presented the LPD Exceptional Duty Award in May 2007 for his work with the Lincoln Metro Clandestine Laboratory Team. In addition, Mike has received numerous commendations from the public and supervisors on the Department.

Mike is continuously thinking of new ways to impact crime. That includes becoming involved in a number of community activities, including the Board of Directors for the Matt Talbot Kitchen and Houses of Hope as well as the State Executive Board of Directors for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He’s a member of the International Footprinters Association’s local chapter and a Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Counselor. He is also a dedicated husband and father. Mike leads from the front and would not ask an officer to do anything that he would not be willing to do himself. For the reasons mentioned above, and countless other projects not mentioned here, the Lincoln Police Department is proud to name Sergeant Michael Bassett as the 2008 Officer of the Year.

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Sergeant Mike Bassett