For Immediate Release
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR CONFERS
FEDERAL OFFICER STATUS ON NATION POLICE
ONEIDA INDIAN TERRITORY, via Oneida, NY Oneida Indian
Nation Police officers have been commissioned as Deputy Special
Officers by the federal government, Nation officials announced
today.
The federal officer status is extended by statute of the United States
Department of the Interior, and includes the ability to investigate
violations of the General Crimes Act and Major Crimes Act pursuant
to Title 18 of the U.S. Code, according to Arthur F. Pierce,
Commissioner of Public Safety for the Oneida Nation. The federal
officer status will enable the Nation police to work hand-in-glove
with all federal authorities, including the U.S. Attorney's office.
Additionally, the elevated status adds another dimension to the
Nation's ability to provide thorough and effective law enforcement at
all levels of potential criminal activity, Commissioner Pierce said.
Nation Representative Ray Halbritter noted that the conferring of
federal officer status "is an affirmation of the level of quality and
professionalism of the officers of the Oneida Nation's Police
Department."
With the new status, Nation police officers, working in conjunction
with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Syracuse, can now
apprehend federal offenders on Indian lands, initiate investigations of
applicable federal crimes that occur on Indian land, and make arrests
beyond Indian lands when cases originate within Indian Country. In
January, Commissioner Pierce was the first tribal police officer in
New York State to be deputized by the federal government.
The Deputy Special Officer appointments have been extended to the
sovereign police force by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
Currently, 33 of the 45 full-time Nation officers have attained the
federal status after having successfully completed special training
through the BIA. The remaining Nation officers who have yet to
complete the training will receive it in the near future, according to
Commissioner Pierce.
Oneida Nation police officers also hold "special deputy Sheriff status"
in both the Oneida and Madison County Sheriff's Departments, which
provides jurisdiction to intervene in matters of local and state crimes.
The status was conferred by cross-deputization with the Sheriff's
Departments adjacent to Nation lands. Additionally, every member of
the Nation Police Department is certified by the State's Division of
Criminal Justice Services. The Nation officers have a total of over
800 years of professional law enforcement experience. The unique
department is comprised of several retired New York State troopers
and officers previously serving with county sheriff's, city and town
police departments throughout New York State. There are stringent
standards for hiring for Nation police officers, including a college
degree and a minimum of five years of police experience. The median
level of professional law enforcement experience for the department
is 15 years.
For more information you may contact the Nation Police via the
internet at umstead@oneida-nation.org
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Daniel Umstead * The Oneida Indian Nation
Internet Coordinator *
Oneida Indian Nation * "The first Indian Nation on
315-361-6300 *
315-361-6333 (fax) * the World Wide Web"
umstead@oneida-nation.org *
* URL - http://nysernet.org/oneida/
*
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