From Detective to Professor: Mike Butera Brings Real-World Experience to Bellevue University

During most of Mike Butera’s career in law enforcement, detective work meant knocking on doors and conducting in-person interviews. Today, detectives can learn a lot about suspects simply by scrolling through social media. This evolution in investigative techniques is just one of the many changes Butera has witnessed — and it’s part of what makes teaching at Bellevue University so rewarding for him.

As an associate professor in the College of Science and Technology, Butera shares more than 25 years of in-the-field criminal justice experience with his students. Teaching also enables him to stay current with new strategies, technologies and approaches to community relations that have emerged over the course of his career in criminal justice.

Butera’s journey with Bellevue University began in January 2001 when he joined as an adjunct professor in the criminal justice degree programs. After retiring from law enforcement in 2007, he transitioned to a full-time role as a professor and the Program Director — positions he still holds today.

Prior to his time at Bellevue, Butera taught part-time as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and University of Nebraska-Lincoln for over 25 years. There, he discovered a passion for mentoring aspiring criminal justice professionals.

He served nearly 25 years with the Omaha Police Department, retiring as a Captain and Commander of the Criminal Investigation Bureau. In this role, he oversaw units such as Homicide, Special Victims, Gangs, Narcotics, and Firearms. Because of this, criminal justice majors have greatly benefited from Butera’s leadership and firsthand experience throughout his teaching career.

One of Butera’s proudest achievements in law enforcement was being one of the original Omaha police supervisors at Project Harmony, an organization dedicated to ending child abuse and neglect. He also played significant roles in high-profile cases, including the Amber Harris and Kenyatta Bush cases. As a father of four daughters, these cases hit home and continue to motivate him to share his insights with students.

Initially, Butera was hesitant to join Bellevue University’s criminal justice faculty as he had never taught online before. However, knowing the university’s reputation as a leader in online education, he decided to give it a try.

“After a few meetings, I decided to accept the position and ended up really enjoying it and seeing the advantages of online,” Butera says.

He continues to see those benefits day after day. Online learning allows students from diverse geographic areas and backgrounds to participate in the same classroom. Butera feels this diversity of thought enriches discussions and creates a vibrant learning environment.

For instance, one student might be a police officer in Louisiana, while another works in New York City. Their vastly different experiences provide unique perspectives on law enforcement challenges and solutions. Additionally, many of Butera’s criminal justice students are active-duty military members or veterans, some of whom take courses while deployed around the world.

Butera is also proud that every faculty member in criminal justice is a current or former criminal justice professional, whether as a parole officer, detective, attorney, or another role. This real-world experience is a significant selling point for the program. Butera himself has developed much of the curriculum of the criminal justice degrees, including a Master of Science degree.

For Butera, what’s most fulfilling about teaching is not only passing along his knowledge but also hearing new ideas every day.

“The whole idea of being a lifelong learner really resonates with me,” he says.

At Bellevue University, he appreciates the flexibility to adapt his curriculum to meet the evolving needs of criminal justice education. As the field continues to change, Butera ensures that his students receive an up-to-date education that prepares them to be both informed citizens and effective practitioners.

“It’s a tremendous advantage that Bellevue University has,” he says.

| Pictures Provided by Bellevue University |