Omaha Public Schools Seeks Immediate Ban on Shock-Glove Use by School Resource Officers

Omaha Public Schools (OPS) sent a formal letter to Mayor John Ewing Jr. and Police Chief Todd Schmaderer asking that school-resource officers (SROs) no longer be authorized to carry electric shock-glove devices on district property. The district, which serves roughly 52,000 students, described the gloves as “counterproductive” to its long-standing partnership with the Omaha Police Department and requested that the change take effect immediately.

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The Omaha Police Department (OPD) previously announced that SROs would be equipped with shock-glove technology in metro-area middle and high schools. OPD has confirmed that the devices are also in use by SROs in the Elkhorn, Millard, and Westside public-school districts. Westside Community Schools noted that safety personnel were informed of the potential deployment on March 27, 2025, but the district said the gloves have not yet been used. Millard Public Schools reported similar awareness about a year ago and likewise indicated no actual use. Bellevue Public Schools has not issued a statement regarding the gloves, though its superintendent requested clarification from Bellevue police, which operate SROs at one middle and one high school.

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Police Chief Todd Schmaderer praised the work of SROs, acknowledged “erroneous assumptions” about their role, and affirmed that OPD will honor OPS’s request by refraining from allowing shock-glove use on school grounds while retaining standard equipment such as tasers, OC spray, batons, and firearms. Mayor John Ewing Jr., a co-founder of the local SRO program, reiterated his belief in the overall value of police presence in schools and noted that the G.L.O.V.E. (shock-glove) tool had been the “least impactful” among officers’ options. OPD confirmed it will comply with the district’s opt-out request.

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With OPD’s commitment to cease glove deployment on OPS campuses, the district expects to maintain its collaborative relationship with police while removing a contentious tool. Other districts continue to evaluate or defer the use of shock gloves, and no incidents of glove deployment have been reported in any of the districts mentioned. The immediate effect of OPS’s request is the removal of shock-glove authority for its SROs, pending any future policy revisions.

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