OKMULGEE, Okla. — The Okmulgee Police Department and the Muscogee Lighthorse Police made their jobs a bit easier with a new cross-commissioning agreement.
Okmulgee Police Chief Danny Owen and Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Chief Richard Phillips of the go way back.
“His kids, and my kids, were involved in FFA and 4H,” Owen said.
“We’ve seen each other at livestock shows and things of that nature,” Phillips added.
When Owen became chief of police in Okmulgee, he called Phillips. They discussed several ways their departments could work together, and they just solidified that with the cross-commissioning agreement.
“It’s a force multiplier,” Owen said.
The McGirt decision complicated matters for local and tribal police departments, it's been especially felt in Okmulgee, where both departments have a major footprint.
WATCH: 2 News previously covered tension between Okmulgee County Sheriff's Office and the Muscogee Lighthorse:
Owen said when officers are responding to a chaotic, or sensitive scene, they can focus more of their efforts on the response, rather than interfering with tribal police efforts.
Now, the Lighthorse police can write a ticket just the same as OPD, and vice-versa.
2 News wanted to know what Okmulgee residents, like Glenda Chastain, think. “I hope that the law that applies for the police department, applies for the [tribes],” Chastain said.
That’s the plan.
Both chiefs told 2 News this makes things easier. That is the tradition of the Lighthorse police after all.
“We traveled further, and the quickest,” Phillips said, “We traveled light.”
What happens after a police encounter remains unchanged - tribal citizens go through tribal court systems, and the non-tribal citizens go through municipal and state courts. No matter the responding agency.
Speaking of agencies, Chastain hopes this goes a step further.
“I hope the sheriff’s department will interact with them and it will all be good,” Chastain said.
The agreement takes effect immediately.
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