Earlier this fall, the Catawba Nation hosted a two-day training for law enforcement agencies and other supportive-service agencies to help build sustainable public safety partnerships with the tribe. This is the first training of its kind to help these agencies collaborate and understand cultural dynamics of the Catawba Nation and its people.

Lydia Locklear, Catawba Nation Deputy Tribal Attorney, said that through the collaboration of the Catawba Nation’s Legal Department and Tribal Police Department, the Nation made history by hosting this training for the first time. “The training focused on Catawba law, history, and culture, restorative justice, missing or murdered Indigenous Peoples, and the importance of partnerships between the Nation and outside agencies,” said Locklear. “This training has been a goal for years and to finally have North Carolina, South Carolina, local, and federal agencies in one room to learn about the importance of the Catawba community and the justice issues we face, as well as the importance of partnerships between agencies and the Nation, was a dream come true.”

Locklear said the training was important because most outside agencies know very little about Indian tribes and the complexities of jurisdiction and policing in Indian Country but still serve tribes such as Catawba with little to no knowledge of the community. “Through the relationships the Nation has built over the last several years, we were able to reach out to several agencies to inform them of the training, which was attended by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and York County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Office, to name a few,” added Locklear.

Catawba Nation Executive Director of Public Safety Shawn Butler said, “As Nelson Mandela said, ‘Safety and security don’t just happen; they are the result of collective consensus and public investment.’”

Butler invited local, state, and federal partners to participate in the Catawba-centric training opportunity to help build trust, understanding, and a collaborative spirit with the justice community, who all serve the Catawba citizens. “Building sustainable partnerships allows for long-term solutions tailored to the unique needs of our tribal community, addressing both immediate concerns and underlying challenges like addiction,” said Butler.

The agencies that attended the training were the City of York (South Carolina) Police Department, York County 911, York County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, United States Marshals Service, South Carolina Highway Patrol, Kings Mountain (North Carolina) Police Department, Columbia (South Carolina) Police Department, York County Department of Social Services, Rock Hill (South Carolina) Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United State Attorney’s Office.

Tylee Anderson
Communications Director
Tylee.Anderson@Catawba.com

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