Skip to content
Back to top

Cooperative Agreements

Title: Cooperative Law Enforcement Agreement between the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and Skagit County
Parties: The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and Skagit County
Date enacted/published: July 19, 1999

Description:

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and Skagit County entered into this cooperative agreement to commission tribal law enforcement as county deputies to investigate certain Washington State offenses on the reservation. Attached to the agreement is a Swinomish Indian Senate Resolution approving the agreement, maps of the reservation, and the Swinomish Tribal Code pertaining to the commissioned Swinomish officers that reiterates the agreement.

Key provisions of the agreement include:

  • Only Washington courts will prosecute the offenses.
  • Nothing in the agreement is meant to cede any party’s jurisdiction or subject any party to additional liability.
  • The county sheriff will have the sole discretion to issue and revoke commissions to tribal officers and has the discretion to conduct background checks or polygraph tests.
  • Commissioned tribal officers must complete the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy.
  • Commissioned officers will remain under the tribe’s supervision, but will abide by the sheriff’s rules and regulations when acting under the authority of the commission.
  • Commissioned officer will file a written report within twelve hours of enforcement action.
  • The tribe waives all claims against the county, unless they were proximately caused by the negligence or willful misconduct of the county.
  • The tribe agrees to maintain a $1 million insurance policy for claims of false imprisonment, false arrest, public liability, property damage, and police professional liability.
  • The tribe waives sovereign immunity for claims asserted by the county, for which the nature and amount are covered by the tribe’s insurance policy.
  • Commissioned tribal officers will enjoy all of the county immunities.
  • An oversight committee will review agreement activities.
For additional information contact:
Skagit County Sheriff
600 South Third Street
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Or
Swinomish Chief of Police
P.O. Box 817
LaConner, WA 98257
Or
Office of Tribal Attorney
P.O. Box 817
LaConner, WA 98257
Or
Swinomish Tribal Community
P.O. Box 814 - 950 Moorage Way
LaConner, WA 98257
(360) 466-3163
Title: Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and City of Burlington Interlocal Cooperation Agreement for Mutual Aid
Parties: Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the City of Burlington
Date enacted/published: June 10, 1993

Description:

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the cityof Burlington entered into this cooperation agreement to provide mutual law enforcement aid as needed. Key provisions of the agreement include:

  • The chiefs of police may request assistance from the other, and will cooperate in the execution of warrants. The agencies will regularly exchange an updated list of officers authorized to request assistance.
  • Assisting officers are authorized to furnish personnel, equipment, and facilities.
  • Responding officers are automatically commissioned.
  • All officers must complete the Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission.
  • Responding officers will remain under the ultimate control and liability of their originating jurisdiction.
  • Officers may freshly pursue suspects off their jurisdiction if they observe the commission of a crime or have reasonable grounds to suspect a felony has been committed.
  • The city and the tribe will waive all claims against each other, indemnify each other for all claims by third parties arising out of this agreement, and be responsible for the liability of their own officers.
  • Both the city and the tribe will carry a $1 million insurance policy.
  • The tribe waives its sovereign immunity for claims asserted by the cityin the amount and nature covered by the insurance policy.
For additional information contact:
City of Burlington
Burlington, WA 98233
Or
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
P.O. Box 817 – 950 Moorage Way
LaConner, WA 98257
Title: Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and Town of Coupeville Interlocal Cooperation Agreement for Mutual Aid
Parties: Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the Town of Coupeville
Date enacted/published: April 16, 1996

Description:

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the town of Coupeville entered into this cooperation agreement to provide mutual law enforcement aid as needed. Key provisions of the agreement include:

  • The chiefs of police may request assistance from the other and will cooperate in the execution of warrants. The agencies will regularly exchange an updated list of officers authorized to request assistance.
  • Assisting officers are authorized to furnish personnel, equipment, and facilities.
  • Responding officers are automatically commissioned.
  • All officers must complete the Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission.
  • Responding officers will remain under the ultimate control and liability of their originating jurisdiction.
  • Officers may freshly pursue suspects off their jurisdiction if they observe the commission of a crime or have reasonable grounds to suspect a felony has been committed.
  • The town and the tribe will waive all claims against each other, indemnify each other for all claims by third parties arising out of this agreement, and be responsible for the liability of their own officers.
  • Both the town and the tribe will carry a $1 million insurance policy.
  • The tribe waives its sovereign immunity for claims asserted by the town in the amount and nature covered by the insurance policy.
For additional information contact:
Town of Coupeville
P.O. Box 725
Coupeville, WA 98239
Or
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
P.O. Box 817 – 950 Moorage Way
LaConner, WA 98257
Title: Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and Town of LaConner Interlocal Cooperation Agreement for Mutual Aid
Parties: Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the Town of LaConner
Date enacted/published: June 5, 1990

Description:

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the town of LaConner entered into this cooperation agreement to provide mutual law enforcement aid as needed. Key provisions of the agreement include:

  • The chiefs of police may request assistance from one another and will cooperate in the execution of warrants. The agencies will regularly exchange an updated list of officers authorized to request assistance.
  • Assisting officers are authorized to furnish personnel, equipment, and facilities.
  • Responding officers are automatically commissioned.
  • All officers must complete the Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission.
  • Responding officers will remain under the ultimate control and liability of their originating jurisdiction.
  • Officers may freshly pursue suspects off their jurisdiction if they observe the commission of a crime or have reasonable grounds to suspect a felony has been committed.
  • The town and the tribe will waive all claims against each other, indemnify each other for all claims by third parties arising out of this agreement, and be responsible for the liability of their own officers.
  • Both the town and the tribe will carry a $1 million insurance policy.
  • The tribe waives its sovereign immunity for claims asserted by the town in the amount and nature covered by the insurance policy.
For additional information contact:
Town of LaConner
P.O. Box 400
LaConner, WA 98257
Or
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
P.O. Box 817 – 950 Moorage Way
LaConner, WA 98257
Title: Tulalip Tribes and Snohomish County Cooperative Law Enforcement Agreement
Parties: Tulalip Tribes and Snohomish County
Date enacted/published: November 21, 2001

Description:

The Tulalip Tribes and Snohomish County entered into this cooperative law enforcement agreement to provide for mutual law enforcement in the reservation, which is located within Snohomish County, after the tribes rescinded the state’s PL 280 jurisdiction. Attached to the agreement is the Tribal Resolution enacting the Cooperative Agreement, Law Enforcement Operations Protocol, and an Interlocal Agreement for Jail Services, including fees.

Key provisions of the agreement include:

  • The agreement is not meant to cede any party’s jurisdiction.
  • All cross-commissioned officers must have a background check, a polygraph test, and completed the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy.
  • Procedures for revoking a commission.
  • Commissioned officers have the authority to exercise on the reservation all powers of either a Tulalip police officer or a deputy sheriff.
  • The agencies will be immediately notified within forty-eight hours when commissioned officers acts pursuant to their commissions.
  • Commissioned officers remain under their own agency’s control.
  • The sheriff, the Tulalip police and the FBI agree to share their operational protocols.
  • The state and county retain jurisdiction over Indian juveniles, regardless of where the crime is committed.
    • Procedures for the tribe to exercise concurrent jurisdiction over juveniles.
  • The parties agree to provide officers as witnesses in Snohomish County superior, district, and/or juvenile courts, the Tulalip tribal courts, or federal courts.
  • All persons arrested by the Tulalip Tribal Police will be held at either the Snohomish County Corrections or the Denney Juvenile Justice Center.
  • The tribe and the county agree to issue appropriate traffic citations from each other’s jurisdiction depending on the status of the person.
  • The county will enforce domestic violence protection orders.
  • The tribe and the county will be responsible for all civil liability of their own officers. Additionally, the tribe and county will indemnify each other for third-party claims.
  • The tribe will obtain a $1 million insurance policy and waive its sovereign immunity for a claim of indemnification by the county.
  • Arbitration procedures.
For additional information contact:
Snohomish County Prosecutor
3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 504
Everett, WA 98201
(425) 388-3772
Or
Snohomish County Executive
3000 Rockefeller Ave. M/S 407
Everett, WA 98201
(425) 388-3460
Or
Executive Director, Tulalip Tribes Governmental Affairs
6700 Totem Beach Road
Marysville, WA 9827-9715
(360) 651-3225
Or
Chief of Tulalip Tribes Police
6700 Totem Beach Road
Marysville, WA 98271-9715
(360) 651-4608