"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Law Enforcement Officers Cross Deputize

"The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service joined with the Wagoner County Sheriff's Office recently in a cross deputization agreement, which will benefit all residents of the area. Pictured are (l-r): Cherokee Nation Marshal Brian Catcher, Cherokee Nation Attorney General Diane Hammons, Cherokee Nation Marshal and Marshal Service Director Sharon Wright, Wagoner County Sheriff Johnny Cannon, Wagoner County Undersheriff Mark Day, and Wagoner County Investigator Bob Haley."

WAGONER, OKLAHOMA – The Cherokee Nation and the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Department have joined forces and will provide the best possible law enforcement for citizens in the Wagoner area. Wagoner County Sheriff Johnny Cannon met with Cherokee Nation Marshal Sharon Wright and Attorney General Diane Hammons on Wednesday, September 21, 2006, to announce the agreement.

The agencies have entered into a contract to cross deputize, meaning that all officers will be able to quickly respond to calls and assist each other when needed. The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service has a SWAT team, narcotics investigators, a methamphetamine lab eradication team and other specialized services it can offer area police and sheriff offices through cross-deputizing agreements.

“This is a good working relationship,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “It helps both agencies move more quickly on investigations when they know that they have the authority to work together. It will speed up the whole legal process and because we can back each other up, it will keep of all our officers safer.”

“The Wagoner County Sheriff’s Department will now have the ability to work with us on drug task force initiatives, and have better access to our drug task force, our officers and our agents,” said Sharon Wright, Marshal and Director of the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. “In addition, we can now work to assist one another in times of natural disasters.”

The Cherokee Nation Marshals will be holding workshops for the county deputies that will include training and information on the history of the tribe’s Marshal Service, federal jurisdiction and examples of court cases that deal with jurisdiction issues. The training will also include discussion of coordination between the two law enforcement entities to prepare for possibilities of natural disaster, white collar crime and Indian Child Welfare cases.