Paul Daugherty has been appointed superintendent of the Cayuga Nation Police Department after serving in an acting role since July, the Nation announced Wednesday.
Daugherty formally received the appointment Aug. 13. He became acting superintendent following the retirement of Michael Dubois and had served as the department's deputy superintendent since January.
Daugherty joined the Cayuga Nation department in May 2023 after nearly 20 years with the New York State University Police at SUNY Upstate, now Upstate Medical University.
He began as a police officer, later worked in plainclothes crime prevention and became a lieutenant overseeing criminal investigations before serving as deputy chief. His duties frequently involved downtown Syracuse neighborhoods surrounding the medical campus as well as university property, according to the release.
Daugherty was raised in Groton and studied criminal justice at Tompkins Cortland Community College before briefly attending SUNY Cortland. He later earned a bachelor's degree in human services from SUNY Empire State University while working at Upstate Medical.
The Nation said Daugherty helped complete and implement a field-training program for new officers while serving as deputy superintendent. It also credited him with helping reacquire Nation properties that the release described as illegally occupied by dissident members and with leading development of the department's first sex-offender registration program.
Daugherty has represented the Nation at community events including Toys for Tots, Trunk or Treat and the SUNY Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital Holiday Parade of Lights.
As superintendent, Daugherty said he plans to focus on maintaining community trust and strengthening relationships with other law-enforcement agencies. His immediate priorities include fully staffing the department, filling the vacant deputy superintendent position and pursuing accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
Daugherty lives in Homer with his wife and their three children.
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