An agreement for increased police services on Seneca Nation territory has been rescinded by the nation council following public backlash.
Seneca citizens turned out in large numbers to last weekend’s council meeting, raising concerns of "over-policing" by non-Native officers after a memorandum of understanding with the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office went into effect. Leslie Logan was one of them.
"The result was this policing, over-policing that we saw," she said. "We show up to council on Saturday, and you know, more than 100 people are once again saying no, repeal the vote. We didn't support this."
Seneca President JC Seneca had lobbied the state legislature for a change in state law to allow these kinds of agreements, and Governor Kathy Hochul signed the bill before the new year.
In December, Seneca told BTPM NPR it was a win for public safety.
"It certainly gives us more tools in our toolbox to be able to take care of illicit drug sales, the drug dealers, the influx of drugs into the area," Seneca said after the bill's signing. "Not just within Seneca Nation. Because where we're at in Western New York, there's a lot of drug trafficking that goes on."
In the several weeks the MOU was in effect, Seneca citizens on social media said they witnessed heavy police presence, but mostly for driving infractions.
Logan said the motion to repeal the agreement was passed unanimously by all 14 councilors present, but still has concerns about community input.
President Seneca said public safety requires a multi-pronged approach. He provided the following written statement to BTPM NPR after an inquiry about the repeal:
“Public safety has been an ongoing issue on our territories for a number of years, with nothing being done about it. When I was elected, I listened to our people and took the initiative to address the issues that our plaguing our community, including drug trafficking, drug use, sex trafficking, violent crime, and other serious issues. This requires a multi-pronged approach, including not just law enforcement, but education, community outreach, treatment programs, and other efforts.
Without each component, we are fighting a losing battle. Unfortunately, there are those in our community who are protecting drug dealers and the criminal element that are poisoning our people. I won’t be deterred in my commitment to look at ways to finally address these vital issues. We won’t let our people live in fear. We want them to be safe in their homes and on our territories. The public safety issues and the people who create them will not simply go away. We need to take action to stop them.” - Seneca President J. Conrad Seneca
This comes more than a year-and-a-half after a referendum vote to establish a Seneca Nation police department failed.
A second question in that referendum was whether to "support the Seneca Nation entering into agreements with local, state, and/or federal authorities for the Seneca Nation to exercise criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians."
That measure was also shot down by voters, according to then-President Rickey Armstrong Sr.
But an explanation of the the second question given to Seneca citizens in July 2024 came with a caveat:
A “NO” vote, however, would not prohibit the Seneca Nation from seeking alternative arrangements to increase the outside law enforcement presence on Territory.
Vote tallies from the referendum were never publicly released by the nation.
A federal bill, also supported by President Seneca and other nation officials, would repeal a 1948 act of Congress that gave jurisdiction of Seneca Nation territories to New York State.
The "Seneca Nation Law Enforcement Efficiency Act" was introduced by Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY 23) and cosponsored by Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY 26). It would remove New York's automatic civil and criminal jurisdiction if agreed to in writing by the Seneca Nation and the U.S. Attorney General.
The bill is currently in the House Committee on Natural Resources.
BTPM NPR reached out to the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office, but did not hear back.
