The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde reached a law enforcement agreement with the sheriff in Polk County, Oregon.

The tribe will provide $450,000 to maintain patrols on the reservation. Sheriff Bob Wolfe had previously declined to accept the money due to concerns about the funding arrangement.

"We're going to communicate much better and much more frequently," Peter Wakeland, the tribe's director of development, told The Salem Statesman Journal.

Wakeland said the tribe is considering its own law enforcement department but the effort could take years. Wolfe said he is willing to help but he draws the line at cross-deputization of tribal officers.

"That's off the table,"Wolfe told the paper. "They understand it's not going to happen."

Other counties, however, have entered into cross-deputization agreements with tribes, the paper said.

Get the Story:
Deal preserves Polk County sheriff's enhanced tribal-area patrols (The Salem Statesman Journal 7/16)
Tribe may set up own police force (The Salem Statesman Journal 7/16)