PRYOR, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service expanded its presence in the Cherokee Nation Reservation with a new satellite office at Cherokee Heights in the Mayes County community of Pryor. The new office will provide Cherokee citizens living in the northern portions of the reservation with easier access to important law enforcement resources.
The new satellite office, which is now open, will have personnel on hand representing the tribe’s Justice Services department and ONE FIRE Victim Services, along with criminal investigators and law enforcement officers from the Marshal Service.
“Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I believe it is critical that the Cherokee Nation continue to provide a blanket of protection for everyone in the Cherokee Nation Reservation, and that we do all we can to make it easier for our citizens to find the resources they need. We’ve made historic progress toward that end over the past three years, investing tens of millions of dollars aimed at building the country’s best criminal justice system. Since 2019 we have increased the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service budget by more than 260 percent and increased its staffing capacity by more than 240 percent,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “A new sub-office for our Marshal Service, justice services and ONE FIRE Victim Services allows us to do even more in establishing a more robust criminal justice system and keeping all who live in our reservation safe.”
Cherokee Nation invested more than $30 million in Fiscal Year 2022 to expand its criminal justice system, upgrade criminal codes and maintain public safety. Cherokee Nation Businesses in 2022 also made a $10 million contribution to the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service to support the tribe’s law enforcement arm as it responds to increased demands in the tribe’s more than 7,000 square miles of criminal jurisdiction.
“The men and women of the Office of the Marshal work tirelessly to ensure our reservation is a safe place to live in, work in and visit, and we are committed to responding to the needs of our communities. Our 7,000 square miles of jurisdiction provides us with many new opportunities and opening a new satellite office in Pryor is one more step we have taken to expand our presence,” Cherokee Nation Marshal Shannon Buhl said.
The Cherokee Nation Office of the Marshal is comprised of three divisions; the Marshal Service (Patrol, Operations, Investigations) under the leadership of Marshal Shannon Buhl and Executive Director Mike Roach; Public Safety (EMS, Emergency Management, Emergency 911 Communications) under the leadership of Senior Director Phillip Manes, and Justice Services (court services, tribal police for court transport, juvenile justice, adult probation, sex offender registry and security) under Senior Director Suzanne Drywater.
“It’s great to see how much of an investment is being made into law enforcement and protection of our citizens on the Cherokee Nation Reservation,” Speaker of the Council Mike Shambaugh said. “This year alone in (FY23) Cherokee Nation has committed more than $43 million to the Marshal Service to meet the needs of our growth and public safety obligations under the U.S. Supreme Court McGirt and subsequent Hogner decisions.”