Oneida Tribal Police: Politics and Law Enforcement (From Native Americans, Crime, and Justice, P 114-117, 1996, Marianne O Nielsen and Robert A Silverman, eds. -- See NCJ-168132)

• NCJ Number: 168144
• Author(s): E C Byrne
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 4 pages
• Sale Source: Westview Press, Inc
• Publication Type: Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This chapter traces the development of the Oneida Tribal Police near Green Bay, Wis., including the political influences that impeded their acceptance by and cooperation with county sheriff's departments.

Abstract

In 1985 the tribal membership voted to create a tribal police force, largely as a result of the security needs created by the success of the tribe's bingo hall. Security officers at the bingo hall became the first tribal officers. The tribal police agency was headed by a chief, whose first action was to purchase two used police vehicles, along with portable radios that enabled officers to communicate within the department, but not with other agencies. The tribal police force received no encouragement from either Brown or Outagamie counties, which include the Oneida reservation. Both counties refused to allow tribal officers on their radio frequencies or to have any radio communication with them. The counties did not recognize that the Oneida officers had any police powers. One town did provide 24- hour radio communication that gave tribal officers access to motor vehicle registrations, drivers' records, and State and national criminal files. The problems with the two counties stemmed from a larger dispute over reservation jurisdiction. The issue was finally settled when the court held that the Oneida did have jurisdiction over the lands within the original reservation boundaries, regardless of the ownership of the land itself. Thus, the tribe, the counties, and local municipalities enjoyed concurrent jurisdiction within the reservation boundaries. The county police accepted this court decision and began to include the Oneida police in law enforcement efforts. A key step in the growing professional relationship between the tribal police and other law enforcement agencies occurred when Brown County formed a multijurisdictional group. This undercover drug unit included an Oneida officer. The Oneida force has grown to 20 officers; all are members of the Oneida Tribe.