Donielle Bannon promoted to first female Saginaw Chippewa police captain
6/3/2015 8:00:00 AM - Police Dept. (TPD)

Donielle Bannon promoted to first female Saginaw Chippewa police captain

By Joseph V. Sowmick, Photojournalist

Tribal Chief Steven Pego made history happen on May 4 as he administered the oath of office to SCIT Tribal Member Donielle Bannon as the new Saginaw Chippewa Tribal police captain. 

The Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police Department was formed in 1976 by Tribal Chief Peter Otto and Tribal Council, and Bannon is the first female Tribal police chief in the history of the multi-jurisdictional force.

“It is an honor to be chosen as Tribal police captain and it is with great pride that I will continue to serve my community in this capacity,” Bannon said.  “We remain steadfast and stand aligned with Tribal Council as our Tribal police officers join the community in the continue fight against drugs on our Reservation.”

Bannon began her career in the field as a marine patrol deputy in Crawford County as she pursued her associate degree in criminal justice pre service from Kirkland Community College in Roscommon, Mich. She also obtained an associate degree from Kirkland Criminal Justice program in administration. 

Bannon continued her academic career by completing a bachelor’s degree from Lake Superior State and is slated to receive her master’s degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University in December 2015.

Bannon joined the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police in February 1997 and has served the force in many capacities including road patrol, community policing officer, domestic violence officer, youth services officer, detective/sergeant and, most recently, as interim lieutenant. 

“I worked in my interim lieutenant position about 10 years ago,” she said. “I worked at Roscommon County Sheriff Department from 2007 to 2011 and returned to the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police in 2011 as a road patrol officer so I have about 18.5 years’ experience total.  I believe the diverse experiences in the field and with administrative duties give me a unique perspective of what the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police needs to do with helping the community. Our officers will remain an active part of community event and we look to work with other law enforcement agencies to make this a safe area for families to live and work.”

Bannon said the Tribal Police currently has 35 employees working in a variety of positions and each officer in the field is equipped by body cameras along with cameras within each squad car.

‘The body cameras were implemented by Tribal Police several years ago and our department remains committed to keeping pace with emerging technology and law enforcement techniques,” Bannon said. “We have equipped our road patrols with video cameras over 15 years ago and we will continue to change as new advances arise.”

Bannon appreciates the support given by Tribal Council as they work with the Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Division and other agencies that impact the Reservation and Isabella County. 

She said Tribal Police works closely with SCIT Community Engineer Don Seal and the Michigan Department of Transportation to be informed on current projects and will continue to work with Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort Security, Surveillance and the Saginaw Chippewa Fire Department as they gear up for the summer concerts and other events within their jurisdiction.