LINCOLN, Neb. - The Nebraska State Patrol officially has their nineteenth Superintendent.

Bryan Waugh was inaugurated at the Nebraska State Patrol headquarters on Monday afternoon. Waugh says his vision and focus is on public safety, through embracing Nebraska's’s communities and using technology.

“I will support and encourage innovative and forward thinking and creative ideas that enhance public safety,” Waugh said. “I intend to focus one our strong capabilities across all areas of our professional, capable, and cutting edge and world-class organizations.”

Waugh was previously Chief of Police in Kearney, a position he held since 2019.

State Patrol captains and law enforcement entities from across Nebraska attended the inauguration. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and Lt. Governor Joe Kelly were also in attendance. Pillen says the process for selecting the new superintendent included several strong candidates, but they have full confidence in Waugh.

“We’ll have 100% confidence,” Pillen said. “Lt. Governor Kelly and I had some great candidates, we made this decision and really look forward toe ermine working and enhancing blue and the safety on our state.”

According to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, the state saw 251 traffic fatalities in 2024 - an 10% increase from 2023. When it comes to zeroing in on public safety, one of Waugh’s main focuses is Nebraska’s roadways.

“We can hear the traffic out there on I-80, there’s a lot of vehicle traffic up and down Interstate 80,” Waugh said. “My goal, our goal, is to keep those motorists safe. Whether they’re Nebraskans or not, they’re coming through our state.”