A former Lincoln police officer, who is now a private investigator and teacher, is running for the District 2 Lincoln City Council seat in southeast Lincoln.
Tom Duden, a Republican who was a Lincoln police officer for 26 years, said as a councilman he wants to contribute to the traditions of the past while meeting the challenges of the future for everyone in Lincoln.
“I want Lincoln to be safe for my neighbors, friends and family. I want to represent the interests, values and ideals of the citizens of Lincoln and I feel that I have the passion, record and skills to support that task,” he said.
The council is a nonpartisan office, which means no party labels appear on the ballot and the top two vote-getters in the primary continue to the general election regardless of party affiliation. However, the two parties do recruit and support candidates.
The four district council seats will be on the ballot in the upcoming election. The primary is April 4, the general election is May 2. Bailey Feit, a Democrat, also is running for the District 2 seat held by Richard Meginnis, who is not running for reelection.
Duden said he’s a strong supporter of public safety and a "big believer" in working with stakeholders on such issues as infrastructure and driving development through public-private partnerships for development.
“I understand the joy of building one’s own home and some of the frustrations with builders and developers in Lincoln,” he said. “Put in the roads and the builders will follow.”
He said he believes in limited government in people’s lives and businesses, particularly regulations, building codes or policies that restrict competition or impose price controls.
Helping businesses prosper and keeping taxes low will help build a strong economy and retain both young people and seniors, he said.
As a police officer from 1974-2000, Duden worked as a field training officer, a recruit academy instructor and an in-service training instructor. He also was vice president of the Lincoln Police Union and president of the Lincoln Police Union Charities.
When he retired, he worked as a human resources and facilities manager and software piracy investigator for Data Design Co. He also is a private investigator and teaches criminal justice at Doane University and the Lincoln Public Schools Career Academy.
He has a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a master’s in public administration from Doane University and an associate degree in criminal justice from Northeast Community College.
The article originally appeared here at the Lincoln Journal Star.