§ 60-683 — Peace officers; duty to enforce rules and laws; powers

All peace officers are hereby specifically directed and authorized and it shall be deemed and considered a part of the official duties of each of such officers to enforce the provisions of the Nebraska Rules of the Road, including the specific enforcement of maximum speed limits, and any other law regulating the operation of vehicles or the use of the highways. To perform the official duties imposed by this section, the Superintendent of Law Enforcement and Public Safety and all officers of the Nebraska State Patrol shall have the powers stated in section 81-2005 . All other peace officers shall have the power:
(1) To make arrests upon view and without warrant for any violation committed in their presence of any of the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Operator's License Act or of any other law regulating the operation of vehicles or the use of the highways, if and when designated or called upon to do so as provided by law;
(2) To make arrests upon view and without warrant for any violation committed in their presence of any provision of the laws of this state relating to misdemeanors or felonies, if and when designated or called upon to do so as provided by law;
(3) At all times to direct all traffic in conformity with law or, in the event of a fire or other emergency or in order to expedite traffic or insure safety, to direct traffic as conditions may require;
(4) When in uniform, to require the driver of a vehicle to stop and exhibit his or her operator's license and registration certificate issued for the vehicle and submit to an inspection of such vehicle and the license plates and registration certificate for the vehicle and to require the driver of a motor vehicle to present the vehicle within five days for correction of any defects revealed by such motor vehicle inspection as may lead the inspecting officer to reasonably believe that such motor vehicle is being operated in violation of the statutes of Nebraska or the rules and regulations of the Director of Motor Vehicles;
(5) To inspect any vehicle of a type required to be registered according to law in any public garage or repair shop or in any place where such a vehicle is held for sale or wrecking;
(6) To serve warrants relating to the enforcement of the laws regulating the operation of vehicles or the use of the highways; and
(7) To investigate traffic accidents for the purpose of carrying on a study of traffic accidents and enforcing motor vehicle and highway safety laws.

Legislative History

Source: Laws 1939, c. 78, § 1, p. 317; Laws 1941, c. 176, § 13, p. 693; C.S.Supp.,1941, § 39-11,119; R.S.1943, § 39-7,124; Laws 1989, LB 285, § 10; R.S.Supp.,1992, § 39-6,192; Laws 1993, LB 370, § 179; Laws 1996, LB 901, § 6; Laws 2005, LB 274, § 238. Cross References: Motor Vehicle Operator's License Act, see section 60-462. Annotations: Investigative stop and search of auto by police held unconstitutional where officer had no reasonable suspicion the occupants were committing, had committed, or were about to commit a crime. State v. Colgrove, 198 Neb. 319, 253 N.W.2d 20 (1977). In the absence of any proof of factual foundation, a mere radio dispatch to an officer to stop a vehicle does not constitute a "reasonably founded" suspicion authorizing detention. State v. Benson, 198 Neb. 14, 251 N.W.2d 659 (1977). This section is constitutional and authorizes officers of the law to conduct routine stops of motor vehicles to check registration and operator's licenses even though there is no probable cause to believe a violation of law has occurred or is occurring. State v. Shepardson, 194 Neb. 673, 235 N.W.2d 218 (1975). In enforcing licensing laws, officers are authorized to stop vehicles. State v. Holmberg, 194 Neb. 337, 231 N.W.2d 672 (1975). The provisions of this section furnish no authority for an officer to issue an order to a person not under arrest to follow him where the offense involved was not a felony nor a violation of any law regulating the operation of vehicles or use of the highway. State v. Embrey, 188 Neb. 649, 198 N.W.2d 322 (1972). Federal district court reversed for error in granting habeas corpus relief on Fourth Amendment grounds to state prisoner who had received full and fair hearing in state court with respect to alleged violations of his Fourth Amendment rights. Holmberg v. Parratt, 548 F.2d 745 (8th Cir. 1977). Where officer's only reason for stopping automobile was for baseless check to determine if it carried front license plate, search pursuant to stop was unreasonable and court abstains from comment on constitutionality of section. United States v. Bell, 383 F.Supp. 1298 (D. Neb. 1974).