Kootenai Tribal Police Chief Joel Minor and newly appointed Tribal Police Officer Heiko Arshat were sworn in on Tuesday by Boundary County Sheriff David Kramer in a cross-deputization ceremony.

Deputization agreements give tribal, federal, state or city law enforcement officials power to enforce laws outside their own jurisdictions regardless of the identity of the perpetrator, thus simplifying the exercise of criminal jurisdiction.

Kramer said cross-deputization allows local law enforcement agencies to work together to cooperatively enhance public safety efforts in and around Boundary County.

“All law enforcement officers who have met the Idaho Peace Officers standards will be working in partnership with the County, City, and Tribe,” Kramer said.

Kramer, who has been serving as a police officer for the Kootenai Tribal Police Department, officially stepped down on Jan. 5, and was replaced by former Bonners Ferry police officer Arshat, who took up his new post on Jan. 3.

Chief Minor said the department chose Arshat for the position due to his reputation for being an outstanding police officer.

“We’ve worked well together for many years,” Minor said. “I knew him to be a outstanding police officer and felt that he would be a great fit for our department.”

Arshat graduated from the North Idaho Post Academy at North Idaho College and began working for the City of Bonners Ferry Police Department in 2009. He served the City of Bonners Ferry for nine years.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to work for the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho,” Arshat said, “I look forward to serving the residents of the Tribe and of Boundary County.”

Officers of the Bonners Ferry Police Department will also be cross-deputized by Sheriff Kramer so that all of law enforcement can work together jurisdictionally for the safety of all the citizens in Boundary County.

Though the practice of entering into cross-deputization agreements is not yet commonplace, there are many such agencies across the country who have entered into similar agreements and have successfully utilized the all-hands-on-deck method in order to better serve and protect.