Okmulgee Police, Muscogee Lighthorse Sign Cross-Commission Agreement

The Okmulgee Police Department and Muscogee Lighthorse Police have now entered into a cross-commission agreement that will allow them to work together.

The chiefs of both departments say this comes after months of discussions on how to rebuild the relationships between the two departments. Okmulgee Police Chief Danny Owen and Lighthorse Police Chief Richard Phillips agreed that their departments could do better.

Chief Phillips said a quick phone call with Chief Owen turned into a long conversation about improving relationships between the two departments. "It's been progressing since then," Phillips said. "We sat down, we had some discussion, so we tried to fix whatever questions he had, and the same with us."

Chief Owen emphasized that training together and working out problems will lead to more efficient law enforcement responses. The cross-commission agreement allows both departments to handle cases involving tribal and non-tribal citizens.

"The process can go either way, so there's no issue of jurisdiction based on whether someone is native or non-native," said Chief Phillips. Chief Owen added that this agreement will allow officers to focus on the call itself, rather than which agency should handle it.

"We want them thinking about the call that's coming up on the screen that they are going to," said Chief Owen. "We don't want our guys thinking, 'Do I even have the authority to do anything?'"

Both chiefs agree that the focus is on protecting Okmulgee's citizens, and this agreement makes that easier. "It gives my agency more resources, it gives his agency more resources, and it's really a force multiplier," said Chief Owen. "I'm just looking forward to collaborating right here at home," added Chief Phillips.