ONEIDA, NY – The Oneida Indian Nation Police Department was recognized for 30 years of service by federal, state and local law enforcement officials, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, Oneida County District Attorney, Madison County District Attorney, New York State Police and the Oneida County and Madison County Sheriffs.
In conjunction with its 30th anniversary, the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department announced it will be breaking ground on a new state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC will be a centralized command center essential for responding to natural disasters, regional crises or other emergencies throughout Central New York. Centrally located at the Oneida Indian Nation Police Headquarters, the EOC will provide additional support for interagency collaboration during emergency situations.
Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Turning Stone Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter also announced the Oneida Indian Nation will host a charity golf tournament on Thursday, September 28 to benefit the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Open to all local law enforcement agencies, the tournament at Shenendoah Golf Course is in honor of the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department’s 30th anniversary and to show the Nation’s appreciation for the collaboration between local agencies for the last 30 years.
“For 30 years, the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department has worked tirelessly to build partnerships, embrace constant improvement and deliver unwavering commitment to the Oneida people and the region as a whole,” said Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation Representative.
“Public safety for tribal communities is very important to the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s office,” said First Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York Elizabeth Coombe. “We are very grateful for the ongoing dialogue that U.S. Attorney Carla Freedman and her predecessors have had with Oneida Indian Nation leadership and with Representative Halbritter.”
“The agreement that the Oneida Indian Nation and the Oneida County Executive, the Sheriff, Madison County and the State of New York created was a game-changer for us all,” said Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamera. “The safest place in Oneida County is Turning Stone Resort Casino and the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department is a great department to work with.”
Established in 1993, the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department is a highly decorated, professionally trained agency. For the last 25 years, the department has earned accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), the gold standard for public safety agencies. The Oneida Indian Nation Police Department is one of only eight police departments in New York State to earn this distinction and the only tribal nation police department in the U.S. to do so.
