Troy Schaefer for Seward County Sheriff

Troy Schaefer for Seward County Sheriff Lifelong resident. Devoted husband, father & grandfather.

Committed to community safety, fiscal responsibility, and strong schools.
✅ Backing our deputies
✅ Building trust
✅ Putting faith, family & service first
Let’s move Seward County forward—together.

FLOCK cameras…one of the hot topics around the United States, especially in Seward County. It took a few days for me to ...
10/01/2026

FLOCK cameras…one of the hot topics around the United States, especially in Seward County. It took a few days for me to make this post because I wanted to make sure I’m putting the correct information out there. In other words, I spoke with the Interdiction Task Force. I first need to correct what I repeated at the event on Tuesday night. Seward County Sheriff’s Office does not have a contract with FLOCK. What we do have is a subscription/MOU with Flock so that select members can access the database that FLOCK utilizes. Seeing as how the cameras are not located in our county, for the next 2 years, we do not pay for the subscription upon it’s upcoming expiration date.

As you know, law enforcement is largely reactive. Som**hing happens, whether it’s a crime being committed and a witness calls to report it or som**hing happens in front of a law enforcement officer and it’s stopped and investigated. Officers often respond to calls for help after a crisis has occurred. That’s not the officer’s fault; that’s the nature of the timeline. Interdiction is the most proactive thing law enforcement can do. LEOs all over the United States have received specialized training for criminal interdiction, stopping crimes during the commission of the offense or before. They do this by investigating patterns of behavior.

While a large portion of those being investigated are not locals (from Nebraska), there have been individuals from Lincoln and Omaha that have been the subjects of investigations from our Interdiction Task Force. I know, because I’ve seen the paperwork. Trust me when I say that affects Seward County citizens. FLOCK cameras assist in those types of investigations.

If you think, or you’re worried about your plate being looked up by our Interdiction Task Force, there is a website you can visit (haveibeenflocked.com), where you can input your vehicle information. I will personally guarantee your vehicle has not been queried. If you find that your plates have been queried, come visit me and I will find out the reason and if there has been an unjustified use of the database, both the supervisor of the Interdiction Task Force and the Sheriff will be notified of such and appropriate action will be taken and I will personally deliver to you a disposition of the complaint.

Here are some stats for you since 2019:

527 lbs of m**h seized
150 lbs of co***ne seized
98 lbs (over 22 million letha doses) of fentanyl
3 missing/endangered juveniles
2 murder suspects

Good afternoon! Considering a recent post made today, I would like to address the issue of the Sheriff’s Office asset fo...
09/29/2026

Good afternoon! Considering a recent post made today, I would like to address the issue of the Sheriff’s Office asset forfeiture program and its status. This is a long post but an important one.

In March of 2024, the authority over the asset forfeiture programs in the U.S. (MNF) published a new guidebook, which outlines the permissible/non-permissible use of asset forfeiture funds. Once the Sheriff learned of the new guidelines in June of 2024, changes were made to reflect those. Guidance was sought from our contact with Department of Treasury through our local Homeland Security Agent in Omaha. Following guidance he received from his legal, the Sheriff’s Office was told that the 2 D.A.R.E. Officers and the Deputy who was handling all calls stemming from the schools in the county (SRO) salaries would be permissible and that those 3 deputies could also carry out their other duties and still be paid.

After that had occurred, the Sheriff’s Office then received a letter from Treasury in May 2025, stating they had placed our asset forfeiture account with them in a “Do Not Spend” status while they investigated some funds that had been spent not in accordance with the new guidelines. Along with the letter, they had outlined what those areas of concern were. The Sheriff, with the assistance of the Task Force Training Officer, responded to each concern with a solution. The solutions provided by the Seward County Sheriff’s Office, that had already been put in place, were agreeable to Treasury and they considered those issues as “resolved”, except for the 3 salaries that had been paid (D.A.R.E. & SRO).

The Sheriff’s Office was then advised by an independent auditor in April of this year that while some of the time that the D.A.R.E. & SRO Deputies were paid for with asset forfeiture may not have been permissible, a large portion of what was paid did qualify for payment through asset forfeiture. Since then, the Sheriff and the Task Force Training Officer have been in contact with Treasury directly, they have even provided Treasury with hundreds of pages of documentation specific to the D.A.R.E. & SRO salaries and time spent in those duties.

During that time, I was only a night-shift Sgt and I was not privy to what was going on as that was not my responsibility. I have, at length, sat down with the command staff and inquired about this issue and have seen communication back and forth between my agency and Treasury. This is a work in progress and one I intend to stay on top of to make sure a resolution is made or that there is forward movement toward a resolution.

I would also like to add that the money used to pay Treasury for the areas they had deemed impermissible were paid back using funds that were due to be disbursed to the Sheriff’s Office, which was a combination of funds seized through lawful interdiction stops and the sale of seized vehicles used to transport drugs and drug currency. There was also a portion that was paid using funds from the Sheriff’s Office “sinking fund.” Those funds were not given to the Sheriff’s Office as part of the adopted budget but were funds from the sale of decommissioned patrol vehicles. No taxpayer dollars were used to pay back those items deemed impermissible.

The other asset forfeiture account we hold with the Department of Justice does permit the payment of salaries but only after seeking and receiving prior approval, which must be done every year. However, after speaking with Sheriff Vance and command staff, they have advised that they will no longer be paying any employee’s salary with asset forfeiture funds.

As your Sheriff I will not pay employee’s salaries with asset forfeiture funds. Fill in the oval and write Troy Schaefer for Seward County Sheriff.

November is fast approaching and I wanted to remind everyone of the qualifications I bring with me if you elect me as th...
09/29/2026

November is fast approaching and I wanted to remind everyone of the qualifications I bring with me if you elect me as the Sheriff of Seward County.

I started my law enforcement career in 2006 as a reserve deputy and became full-time in 2008. I graduated from the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center in April of 2009. Since then, along with the mandatory continuing education hours that all LEOs must have yearly, I’ve also received training in active shooter scenarios, tactical warrant service, REID Interview & Interrogation, Desert Snow (Criminal Interdiction) and many others. I hold instructor certifications for Taser and Field Training Officer. I have been a Sgt. for the last 4 years, after receiving Supervisor training through the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center.

There was a break in my law enforcement career, and I remained in Seward County working for the citizens and helping my brother out with his concrete business. working for the county roads department and the Seward street department. However, when Mike Vance was elected as Sheriff, I came back full time and had my certification as a law enforcement officer reactivated and have been working at the Sheriff’s Office since 2019.

Along with all of that, I’ve had so many different experiences just working in the field and on the road as an active full-time deputy for Seward County Sheriff’s Office for the last 8 years. I love serving the community I grew up in and I will ensure that I continue to work hard for you, the citizens of Seward County. I would appreciate your continued support and ask that beginning October 5th, for early voting at the the Seward County Courthouse you fill in the oval and write my name, TROY SCHAEFER, on the line for Seward County Sheriff!

Good evening, Seward County! I was asked a question by a citizen who wanted to understand why they were told that “the S...
09/01/2026

Good evening, Seward County! I was asked a question by a citizen who wanted to understand why they were told that “the Sheriff hasn’t had a publicly accessible office in there for years,” meaning in the Justice Center.
An elected Sheriff should always be publicly accessible to the citizens of the county they serve. Your current Sheriff is a working Sheriff. When he can, he is out on the road helping where he can, doing title inspections, responding to calls and even participating in Community Policing. There are days when he is also in his office, which is located at the Patrol building on Van Dorn. When a citizen wants to meet with or speak with him, they either call him (so many have his number) or they come into the Sheriff’s Office lobby in the Justice Center or ring the doorbell at the Patrol Office to meet with him.
However, this shouldn’t be about Sheriff Vance. As many of you know, he is not running for re-election. Contrary to the belief that some have, I don’t need to have a physical office at the Justice Center to speak with, meet with or otherwise be publicly available to the citizens of Seward County. I plan to be a working Sheriff. I plan to be out there with the Patrol Deputies as often as I can, assisting in actively serving Seward County. If you need me…call me or stop by and ring the doorbell!
And please, get out and vote on November 3rd. Fill in the oval and write TROY SCHAEFER on the line for Seward County Sheriff!

Good afternoon, Seward County Citizens! What a wild summer this was for me and my campaign! A lot of miles were walked b...
08/27/2026

Good afternoon, Seward County Citizens! What a wild summer this was for me and my campaign! A lot of miles were walked but I was truly honored to see, hear and feel so much support for my campaign for Seward County Sheriff! However, I need to give a big shout out to the ones that volunteered their free time to walk door to door with me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your support, your free time and your friendship. Many memories were made and I am truly humbled. To the citizens that I’ve met and talked with, I thank you for giving me your time. Each of you is an important piece of the community I grew up in. To the villages and towns in Seward County, thank you for letting me be involved in your summer celebrations.
November 3rd is fast approaching and I’m asking you for your continued support. Help me finish this campaign strongly and get out and vote! Fill in the oval, and write in my name, TROY SCHAEFER, on the line for Seward County Sheriff.

Come see us at the Seward County Fair. We are located in the Ag Pavilion.
07/23/2026

Come see us at the Seward County Fair. We are located in the Ag Pavilion.

I want to thank everyone for their support today at the Seward parade. Have a happy 4th of July and be safe.
07/05/2026

I want to thank everyone for their support today at the Seward parade. Have a happy 4th of July and be safe.

I wanted to remind everyone today is the primary, please go vote and make your vote count. As a reminder the Sheriff’s e...
05/12/2026

I wanted to remind everyone today is the primary, please go vote and make your vote count. As a reminder the Sheriff’s election will not be on today’s ballot. The Sheriff election will be held in November during the general election. In November fill in the oval and write in Troy Schaefer for Seward county Sheriff. Thank you for your support.

04/13/2026

I have a request, please do not get on this page and make BOLD FACE LIES about me or anyone else who is interested in information about my campaign. Your first amendment rights are important to me, please feel free to use them, but nobody will be allowed to print lies. Thank you for your compliance. Fill in the oval and write Schaefer for Seward County Sheriff.

04/12/2026

Attention!! I have been made aware of a Facebook post wherein the author had questions or even stated a worry that they were being targeted or could be because of the content of their posts.
I understand that election years can often be tense and those that are in support of one candidate or another may exchange words that could be taken as threats. However, neither I nor anyone on my team will tolerate that behavior. Everyone must understand that we all have a right to free speech…even if that means it makes one uncomfortable or upset.
Another point I would like to make is that at no time will local Law Enforcement be “targeting” citizens over a Facebook post, unless it is violating state law. Neither Sheriff Vance, nor his command staff, myself as a Sgt included, sanction such behavior.
If you or anyone you know has been threatened by another citizen or a Law Enforcement Officer, please report it so that the matter can be dealt with accordingly.

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Seward, NE
68434

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