The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe of New York will boost its law enforcement presence at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino.

The tribe reached an agreement to reduce the state police detail from 17 officers to five. The deal allows the tribe to provide its own officers for the facility.

“The tribal police are now able to conduct the public safety function at the casino,” Chief Randy Hart said in a press release. “We are confident they will do a fine job.”

When the tribe signed its Class III gaming compact in 1994, its officers weren't certified under state law. The compact envisioned the tribe eventually taking over law enforcement once its officers gained certification to enforce state criminal laws.

The reduction in state officers will save the tribe as much as $1.3 million in fees that were paid to the state every year.

Get the Story:
Council, N.Y. state, reach new deal on casino policing (The Cornwall Standard Freeholder 1/20)
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Take Over Casino Duties (Indian Country Today 1/18)