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Queño Martinez
"The uniform means something different to me than it might to others."
What gets lost about policing is how deeply personal this calling is for many of us.
I was working in a store at Westroads Mall in December 2007 when the mass shooting happened and what stayed with me was watching the officers respond. They surrounded us, protected us, and escorted us to safety. In that moment, I found clarity. I wanted to be one of those protectors.
Nine years later, I'm a Lieutenant with the Omaha Police Department (OPD). The uniform means something different to me than it might to others. Every time I put it on, I remember being the civilian who needed help.
There's this misconception that people become officers because they want authority or power. For me, it was witnessing courage. Those officers ran toward danger when everyone else was running away. That's what I wanted to embody.
The academy training was intense, physically, mentally, emotionally. You have to learn everything from constitutional law to firearms training to de-escalation techniques. But nothing prepares you for the reality of the streets. Every call is unpredictable. You might be helping a lost child one moment and responding to a violent domestic situation the next.
I found my true calling when I became the OPD Recruit Academy Sergeant from 2022 to 2024. It’s an honor working with the amazing instructors we have at the Omaha Police Academy and being able to take these recruits from day one and facilitate their transformation into officers. I watch them struggle with the same challenges I faced, help them through their doubts, push them beyond what they thought possible. I’m excited to have been assigned as the Training Unit Commander and look forward to where we take our training to next.
Graduation day hits differently when you've been there for every step. These aren't just recruits anymore; they're the future of our department, the next generation of protectors. When they receive their badges, I see in their eyes the same determination I felt standing in that mall years ago.
As president of the National Latino Peace Officers Association's Omaha Chapter, I work to ensure our force reflects the diversity of our community. Through Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE), we use athletics to build bridges between officers and the neighborhoods we serve.
What gets lost about policing is how deeply personal this calling is for many of us. My passion for training new officers comes from knowing exactly what's at stake. Public Service is being called to serve something greater than myself.
Thank you to our partner The Volcker Alliance for spotlighting Queño.
