TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Cherokee Nation’s Acting Marshal Daniel Mead presented the tribe’s first Five Year Strategic Plan for the tribe’s law enforcement agency on Monday.
“It was great to work with a wonderful and talented team at the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service to develop this plan,” said Acting Marshal Mead. “I truly believe this plan will help guide us in the years ahead to continue evolving, growing and striving for excellence in all we do.”
The plan includes goals and broad initiatives and strategies for the Office of the Marshal, an agency of Cherokee Nation’s executive branch that includes three component departments:
- Cherokee Nation Marshal Service
- Cherokee Nation Department of Public Safety
- Cherokee Nation Justice Services
Among The “Cherokee Nation Office of Marshal Five Year Strategy” includes:
- A central station in Tahlequah for citizens to file a report, check in for probation, have juvenile justice and other one-stop shop for services.
- Financial growth and sustainability, along with new asset management and efficiency goals and streamlined practices.
- More robust workforce development and expansion, including increasing the number of Deputy Marshal’s on patrol to 48 within the next three years and boosting EMS recruitment and training
- Embracing community policing practices to build confidence and visibility at the grassroots level along with improved response time.
- Creating sub-stations for patrol officers throughout the reservation.
- Full compliance with Chief Hoskin’s Executive Order on Equality.
The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service has law enforcement responsibility over the entirety of the 7,000 square mile Cherokee Nation Reservation, which includes rural, urban and suburban communities and millions of natives and non-natives who live, work or travel within the reservation.
Cherokee Nation has exclusive tribal law enforcement authority over the reservation and has cross deputization agreements with more than 90 law enforcement agencies operating within its boundaries.
Last year the Council of the Cherokee Nation approved Chief Hoskin’s proposals to reform the tribe’s Marshal Act in a number of areas. The reforms called for an “overall law enforcement strategy” to be developed by the Marshal and approved by the Principal Chief.
The 2024 reforms paved the way for the Principal Chief to quickly name an acting Marshal as the need arises for a period of no more than one year. The Acting Marshal has the full authority of the Office of the Marshal under Cherokee Nation law and its constitution.
Chief Hoskin named Mead Acting Marshal effective January 1, 2025, following the retirement of long time Marshal Shannon Buhl. Mead’s Acting tenure expires January 1, 2026, or earlier if a regularly-seated Marshal is appointed to complete Buhl’s term ending December 2026.
“Acting Marshal Mead has done an outstanding job in such a short period of time evaluating and improving operations and developing not only the statutory minimum one year report for the Office of Marshal, but a five-year blueprint for the whole agency, which remains the best in Indian Country,” said Chief Hoskin. “Acting Marshal Mead continues to have my full confidence and the strategic plan he submitted met with my immediate approval because it is a roadmap for more progress in the agency.”
“This five-year plan, the first under our new law, was the product of great teamwork within the Office of the Marshal and will serve us well,” said Mead. “Certainly, any good plan can be changed as conditions change, and that could be true of this plan as we review it annually under the law. But, I believe this is a durable plan that shows the type of forward thinking, transparency and commitment to serving at the community level that the Chief, the Council and ultimately the Cherokee people expect of my office.”
Deputy Chief Warner praised the plan for its commitment to community policing.
“We all recognize that in the post-McGirt era We can best protect all citizens through our public safety agencies if we work at the grassroots level,” said Deputy Chief Warner. “This plan embraces that idea and will enable us to continue growing in that direction, all while maintaining the highest of standards for law enforcement, emergency response and other aspects of our Marshal operations.”
The plan was formally approved by Chief Hoskin and sent to the Council on July 2 and was presented to the Council at its July 14 Rules committee meeting.
“This plan aligns with the expectations of the Council, particularly because it embraces a strategy of getting more law enforcement personnel and assets regularly into Cherokee Nation communities,” said Council Speaker Mike Shambaugh. “The challenge now is to implement that plan and always be willing to make changes as we go forward. Seeing more community-level policing and positive engagement is something we should all get behind.”
The “Office of the Marshal Five Year Strategy” is available on Cherokee Nation’s website, Cherokee.org on the Marshal Service webpage.