AKWESASNE -- St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police now have authority in the so-called “Hogansburg Triangle” or “Bombay Triangle,” the northern section of the Town of Bombay that the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe are trying to re-acquire through land claim negotiations.

New York State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico signed a certificate of expanded jurisdiction on Thursday, making the law official, according to the tribe.

In June, the state Assembly and Senate voted in favor of their respective versions of the bill that extends tribal PD’s jurisdiction. Prior to enactment, pursuant to federal and state Indian Law, state courts had concluded that the tribal police did not have authority to police the area. Police authority delegated to the tribal police to enforce state law did not extend to the triangle, an area that is part of ongoing land claim negotiation and always considered part of the reservation by the Mohawks, the tribe said.

This has resulted in dismissal of numerous court cases involving impaired driving, drug-related arrests and other criminal offenses.

“The safety of our community and our police officers has been the driving force behind our collective efforts to see this bill through,” said Chief Eric Thompson. “The law provides clarity to law enforcement, resolves jurisdictional ambiguity and respects tribal sovereignty.”

“This is an historic day for our police department and the community of Akwesasne. We need to have Mohawk police officers patrolling our territory and we’ve always considered this area part of Akwesasne,” said tribal police Chief Matthew Rourke.