The program of Thursday’s meeting of the Dowagiac Rotary featured not just one but four speakers, as the club welcomed several members of the Pokagon Band Tribal Police Department to its weekly luncheon at the Elks Club. The officers briefly explained the role they play in keeping both tribal lands and the greater community safe from crime.

Established 13 years with ago with a little over a dozen officers working in the department, the tribal police department now employs more than 30 officers, and is looking to expand to more than 40 by year’s end, said Detective Lt. Mike Slancik.

The law enforcement officers were invited to speak to the club by Rotarian and local attorney Mark Herman, who helped establish the Pokagon Band’s current judicial system. Pictured, from left: Herman, Officer James Ivy, Detective Justin Weber, Lt. Slancik and Conservation Officer Jim Sumners.