Oneida Indian Nation Announces New Emergency Operations Center to Aid in Response to Regional Crises
Oneida Indian Nation to Host Charity Golf Tournament on September 28 to Benefit the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
Oneida Indian Nation Homelands (September 21, 2023) – The Oneida Indian Nation Police Department was recognized for 30 years of service today 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.
First Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York Elizabeth Coombe said, “Public safety for tribal communities is very important to the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s office. 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.”
New York State Police Troop D Commander Captain Jason Place added, “With the building of the new Emergency Operations Center, the continued training and strengthening of the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department, safer times are ahead. We stand with the Oneida Indian Nation now and far into the future.”
Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamera said, “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. 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.”
Madison County District Attorney William Gabor said, “It is a tribute to the Oneida Indian Nation that the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department received the award of the highest distinction from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The Nation’s police department has conducted itself with the utmost professionalism.”
Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol and Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood commended the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department for their partnership and commitment to the people of Oneida and Madison Counties. Following the historic 2013 Agreement between the Oneida Indian Nation, New York State and Oneida and Madison Counties, Oneida Indian Nation police officers stated to be deputized by 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.
Maciol said, “The key to success in keeping our men and women safe and keeping our communities and our people safe is cooperation. I’m proud that the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department have one of the strongest working relationships that exists among law enforcement agencies today. “
Hood added, “Working with the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department has been nothing but beneficial to the residents of Madison and Oneida Counties and I am very proud of that.”
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 United States to do so.
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 4,500 people, include Turning Stone Resort Casino, YBR Casino & Sports Book, Point Place Casino, The Lake House at Sylvan Beach, The Cove at Sylvan Beach, Maple Leaf Markets, SāvOn Convenience stores, RV Park, and 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.
Media Contact:
Kelly Abdo, Director of Public Relations
315.366.9291
kabdo@oneida-nation.org
