(no subject)
In 1996, I started a new position as a Special Purpose Deputy/Officer or SPO on the Pala Indian Reservation in the County of San Diego about 50 miles northeast of the City of San Diego. The Sheriff’s Department had entered into a new era with working with the local Tribal Governments in our county to better relations and improving Law Enforcement on Indian Lands.
In California, and a few other western states, the United States Congress had enacted Public Law 280 (PL280) in the early 1950’s, giving the local County Sheriff’s the authority to handle and investigate all state crimes on the Indian reservations. All civil matters were left to the tribes to handle as they see fix on each of their own reservations. So, this new position was to work exclusively on the Pala Indian Reservation and work with the community to help solve their unique problems and to improve the quality of life on the reservation for its people and surrounding communities.
I worked this position for four years with my trusted canine partner “Felix”. This job was certainly one of the most unique jobs the department had to offer at that time. I was able to work my canine partner, investigate criminal activities as an investigator, and work the community as a COPPS - Community Orientated Policing and Problem Solving projects. Part of the funding came from the FAST Track COPPS grant monies made available to the tribes through the federal government.
As anyone who has had any dealings in the Indian communities, they would know that they are a very closed and tight community that doesn’t care for “outsiders” involving themselves in their communities. I found it was a very hard position to be placing any Deputy when trying to make positive changes in a community such as on the Pala Indian Reservation, but not impossible.
My first year in Pala was challenging, yet rewarding. The Pala Indian Reservation is located within the Valley Center/Pauma Valley Sheriff’s command area. I had been assigned to the Valley Center Substation for three years prior to this position becoming available. I had made some inroads with the Pala community prior to being placed into the SPO position, yet not all of my contact on that reservation was positive and I would be facing a challenge to overcome those past contacts and negative feelings with some of those individuals and families with hard feelings. But it’s the nature of the job, no one likes loosing their freedoms, and those that taken them away.
Anyway, I was hoping to give a little lead-in to several of the future posts I plan on posting on my journal with placing a little background of why and how I was placed into these very unique positions as a Deputy Sheriff on an Indian Reservation and working with its people to provide Law Enforcement services from a person from outside of the community.
In California, and a few other western states, the United States Congress had enacted Public Law 280 (PL280) in the early 1950’s, giving the local County Sheriff’s the authority to handle and investigate all state crimes on the Indian reservations. All civil matters were left to the tribes to handle as they see fix on each of their own reservations. So, this new position was to work exclusively on the Pala Indian Reservation and work with the community to help solve their unique problems and to improve the quality of life on the reservation for its people and surrounding communities.
I worked this position for four years with my trusted canine partner “Felix”. This job was certainly one of the most unique jobs the department had to offer at that time. I was able to work my canine partner, investigate criminal activities as an investigator, and work the community as a COPPS - Community Orientated Policing and Problem Solving projects. Part of the funding came from the FAST Track COPPS grant monies made available to the tribes through the federal government.
As anyone who has had any dealings in the Indian communities, they would know that they are a very closed and tight community that doesn’t care for “outsiders” involving themselves in their communities. I found it was a very hard position to be placing any Deputy when trying to make positive changes in a community such as on the Pala Indian Reservation, but not impossible.
My first year in Pala was challenging, yet rewarding. The Pala Indian Reservation is located within the Valley Center/Pauma Valley Sheriff’s command area. I had been assigned to the Valley Center Substation for three years prior to this position becoming available. I had made some inroads with the Pala community prior to being placed into the SPO position, yet not all of my contact on that reservation was positive and I would be facing a challenge to overcome those past contacts and negative feelings with some of those individuals and families with hard feelings. But it’s the nature of the job, no one likes loosing their freedoms, and those that taken them away.
Anyway, I was hoping to give a little lead-in to several of the future posts I plan on posting on my journal with placing a little background of why and how I was placed into these very unique positions as a Deputy Sheriff on an Indian Reservation and working with its people to provide Law Enforcement services from a person from outside of the community.