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A County Addendum Addition of County Deputation agreement for law enforcement in the Cherokee Nation Tribe was approved by the Washington County Commissioners on Monday.

Washington County Sheriff Scott Owen said one deputy has already completed certification training for the Special Law Enforcement Commission (SLEC). He said this will give that deputy, and any other WCSO deputy that completes the certification, the authority to work as a federal officer in cases that occur on tribal land.

With the size of the Sheriff's Office in mind, Sheriff Owen said they'll probably have three or four deputies certified with the SLEC. He said they'd love to have all of their deputies certified, but they have to get them trained.

Certain felonies and Part I Crimes will fall under federal jurisdiction through the U.S. Attorney's Office, which the Washington County Sheriff's Office will either turn over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation or work alongside the FBI with their SLEC certified deputies. The training to become an SLEC officer takes place online. Sheriff Owen said the cost for the training would be minimal at best.

Sheriff Owen said a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cherokee Nation was already complete, but this was an important house item that the WCSO needed to complete.