The Oneida Indian Nation Police Department (OINPD) has earned the highest distinction from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), an honor the department has achieved every eligible year since it was established in 1993. The OINPD is the first and only tribal police department in the nation to earn the prestigious CALEA Accreditation.

Oneida Indian Nation Homelands (February 15, 2021) – The Oneida Indian Nation Police Department (OINPD) has received the highest distinction from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), an honor the department has achieved every eligible year since it was established in 1993. Developed by public safety practitioners, the CALEA Accreditation is the international gold standard for public safety agencies, which maintains a high level of public safety standards that cover a wide range of up-to-date public safety initiatives and recognizes professional excellence. The OINPD is the first and only tribal police department in the nation to earn the prestigious CALEA Accreditation.

CALEA was created to define professional standards for law enforcement agencies that, among other things, help agencies develop and improve their relations with the communities they serve and strengthen the agency’s accountability. The CALEA accreditation emphasizes the principles of community-oriented policing. It creates a forum in which law enforcement agencies and the community work together to prevent and manage the challenges faced by law enforcement.

“The decades of experience and expert training of the men and women of the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department was even more critical over the last year as we supported Nation Members and the community through the pandemic,” said Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Turning Stone Enterprises CEO. “Earning the highest distinction of the CALEA Accreditation shows the Department’s commitment to public safety and our success maintaining the highest standards year after year.”

The process of CALEA Accreditation begins with a rigorous self-assessment, requiring a review of policies, practices and processes against internationally accepted public safety standards. This is followed by an evaluation of the Oneida Indian Nation Police’s procedures by independent assessors with extensive public safety experience. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this evaluation was completed virtually. Additionally, to assess community trust and the department’s engagement in the community it serves, public feedback about the department’s effectiveness and overall service is obtained.

“We are very proud of the work and dedication our Department puts into the accreditation process,” said Oneida Indian Nation Chief of Police Gary Henderson. “Not many departments are willing to commit to such high standards that are set by CALEA, and we are grateful for the support we receive from the Oneida Indian Nation and its Members.”

Two of the many important principles that CALEA Accreditation stands for are credibility and collaboration. Characteristics that are also paramount to the Nation police who have partnered with federal, state and local agencies to help keep the communities of Central New York and its residents safe. Oneida Indian Nation police officers are deputized by the Oneida and Madison County Sheriff Departments, which has increased public safety and on-duty officer availability in those counties, as well as on Oneida Indian Nation lands.

The CALEA Accreditation recognizes law enforcement agencies based on their professionalism, stewardship, integrity, diversity, independence, continuous improvement, objectivity, credibility, consistency, knowledge, experience, accountability and collaboration. The Oneida Indian Nation Police Department received an enhanced Certificate of Meritorious Accreditation for having been accredited for 25 consecutive years.

Established in 1993, the Oneida Indian Nation Police has received recognition for its professionalism, skill and dedication to the cause of cooperative law enforcement. The agency has implemented a number of programs in an effort to enhance the service to the community and has become one of the most highly decorated, professional and experienced law enforcement agencies in New York, and in all of Indian country.

FOR MEDIA USE: To download photos to use for a story about the OINPD earning the CALEA Certification, please click HERE.

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Media Contact:

Joel Barkin, VP of Communications
315.361.8173
jbarkin@oneida-nation.org

About the Oneida Indian Nation

The Oneida Indian Nation is a federally recognized Indian nation in Central New York. A founding member of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (also known as the Six Nations or Iroquois Confederacy), the Oneida Indian Nation sided with the Americans in the Revolutionary War and was thanked by Congress and President George Washington for its loyalty and assistance. Today, the Oneida Indian Nation consists of about 1,000 enrolled Members, most of them living in Central New York. The Nation’s enterprises, which employ more than 4,750 people, include Turning Stone Resort Casino, YBR Casino & Sports Book, Point Place Casino, The Lake House at Sylvan Beach, Maple Leaf Markets, SāvOn Convenience stores, RV Park and three marinas. Proceeds from these enterprises are used to rebuild the Nation’s economic base and provide essential services, including housing, health care, and education incentives and programs, to its Members.

For more information, visit www.OneidaIndianNation.com.

 

About the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department

Established in 1993, the eighth largest of 171 tribal police agencies currently operating in the country – the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department is a professionally trained, internationally accredited law enforcement agency empowered by the sovereign authority of the Oneida Indian Nation. Members of the force are deputized by federal authority, and commissioned as Bureau of Indian Affairs Deputy Special Officers under the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Oneida Indian Nation Police Department is the first and only tribal police force in the U.S. and one of only six law enforcement agencies of any kind in New York State to currently hold accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).