The Seneca Nation’s president said dialogue with area law enforcement and governments is improving, following accusations they were impeding on the nation’s sovereignty for suggesting criminal charges against Seneca public safety officers.
President JC Seneca said he’s had meetings with key officials, trying to hammer out a clear law enforcement plan for Seneca territories and its thousands of citizens.
"We've had very good meetings with Cattaraugus County Sheriff [Eric] Butler and Erie County Sheriff [John] Garcia, and going to be having a meeting as well with the Chautauqua County Sheriff here in the near future," Seneca said in a community update video. "And so, you know, working on that collaboratively to try to put together a plan of action in regards to better law enforcement foundation on our territories. I'm really hopeful with that process, we should have something together in the next few weeks.
At the center of the controversy is the Seneca Marshals, an unarmed public safety department, and their enforcement of exclusion orders. The Senecas, as well as many other Native nations, use those orders to expel primarily non-Native people suspected of drugs and violence from their lands.
The exclusion orders also place possible penalties against Seneca citizens who "harbor and assist" exlcuded people. If found guilty in Seneca Nation Peacemaker Court, the nation may withold annuity or financial assistance payments to those citizens.
In a previous email to BTPM NPR, Cattaraugus County DA Lori Pettit Reitman confirmed she believes her office could charge marshals with kidnapping and theft, but wants to instead find a remedy in state court.
“While the Nation has sovereignty to exclude intruders, they, including marshals, do not have criminal jurisdiction. That is why we try to work with them," said Reitman. "Potentially, we can charge the marshals with kidnapping and theft (for taking vehicles of intruders), but, I would rather work with them to remove intruders in state court. I completely respect their sovereignty and understand why they want these people removed-we just need to do it within the confines of the law.”
The president's declaration of an upcoming new public safety plan comes at an important time, as he said Seneca territories have seen three murders in the last 60 days.
