NCJ Number
178818
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 47 Issue: 8 Dated: August 1999 Pages: 92-94
Date Published
August 1999
Length
3 pages
Annotation
After reviewing the history of tribal policing in Oklahoma's Indian Territory, this article describes the organization and responsibilities of contemporary tribal policing in the 10.5 counties of the Choctaw Indian Nation in southeastern Oklahoma.
Abstract
After being transplanted from their home in what became the State of Mississippi to a reservation in what is now Oklahoma, the Choctaw became one of five tribes that began life in a new land. The U.S. Army gave the tribes the responsibility of policing themselves; the early Indian peace officers were called Lighthorsemen. They were among the most feared and respected men in the Indian Territory. Present day Choctaw tribal police continue in this tradition. The current tribal police agency is a Federal law enforcement unit, but each of its members are "cross-certified" by each police department and sheriff's office in the reservation counties, as well as by the State. The department head is headquartered in Durant, and 16 officers work out of eight satellite offices. Community policing has long been the philosophy and policy of the department. Among its responsibilities are the policing of truck stops and bingo halls owned by the tribe. Tribal officers are also assigned to the tribe's hospital, substance abuse rehabilitation center, and a low-income housing complex. Officers are involved in drug law enforcement, crime prevention, and ensuring public order at tribal festivals. Officers are required to testify in Federal, State, or tribal court when they are involved in arrests that come under these courts' jurisdictions.