With plans to expand law enforcement on the reservation, the Bishop Paiute Tribe has hired a police chief. The goal is to have a new police department in place to work with the new Tribal Court.

George Maycott is now on duty as the Tribal Police Chief. Hes currently the only officer in the department, but that will change soon enough. Maycott says that the tribe plans to hire a sergeant by the end of the year.

Maycott himself is no stranger to law enforcement. He served 29 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, and while he and former LAPD officer and now Bishop Police Chief Kathleen Sheehan, didnt know each other on the force, but they do have mutual acquaintances.

Right now Maycott is working to get his certification with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and is limited to enforcement of civil matters, like property disputes and restraining orders. The goal is to be able to enforce criminal law on the reservation. Maycott explained that the Tribal Police will work with the Inyo County Sheriffs Department, the Highway Patrol, and Bishop Police to enforce criminal law.

The Tribal Police will not have any investigators or detectives so major crimes will still be handled by the Sheriffs Department, but Tribal Police will be able to detain suspects and enforce traffic laws.

There is still a lot of work to do to get the Tribal Police Department up and running. Maycott says, I foresee in a year and a half to two years we will be a full-fledged Police Department. We want to do it right, and with the respect of the people, he added.

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