Tribal leaders want more than conversation from elected officials. The request for action comes after meeting with the U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Senator Mike Rounds to discuss public safety challenges facing the tribes.
A ceremony was conducted in Wagner during a recent roundtable meeting involving U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds, and nine tribal leaders.
Just as cities and states across the nation struggle to combat increasing crime rates, funding law enforcement, or finding enough officer’s willing to do the job – tribal leaders said public safety is also a top priority.
Senator Mike Rounds understands and said some reservations experience violent crime rates five times higher than the national average.
Rounds said tribal law enforcement lacks the necessary resources to combat these crime rates. He points to the Bureau of Indian Affair’s outdated law enforcement funding methodology.
“The formulas in which the funds that are already there, the distribution of those funds is not correct today. That’s whether you’re talking about transportation, or whether you’re talking housing, or whether you’re talking law enforcement," said Rounds. "In this particular case, what we wanted to do is draw attention to the fact that a lot of the funding that was there, they can’t share with us on a department basis how they are distributing the funds that are already out there and available.”
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said he’s working on a solution through BIA.
“BIA needs more money for that purpose. And frankly, higher salaries so that they can provide more law enforcement assistance within reservations, and I am committed to working with the secretary and I’ll commit to working with Senator Rounds to try and improve that situation,” said Garland.
A week after the roundtable meeting, Rounds wrote the U.S. Interior Secretary to request an update to the funding formula used for tribal law enforcement.
In his letter Rounds said that the funding for Great Plains tribal law enforcement agencies has remained the same since 1999. With inflationary rates, Rounds said it is not feasible for tribal law enforcement to operate on the same budget designated 25 years ago.
Peter Lengkeek is the Chairman of Crow Creek. He agreed with Rounds that federal funding is lacking.
“The tribe has taken many measures to address things like this, and has been successful at it. But of course, it all comes down to funding. All our efforts put forth in the last year have been suspended because of funding, because of that lack of funding, and we’re hoping that the federal government will honor us sovereign nations and our states of emergencies," said Lengkeek. "Many of us tribes have declared a state of emergency on public safety. We are hoping that the federal government through a relationship, through that treaty obligation will honor those and make good on their promise.”
Outside of funding, tribal leaders are concerned over the distance involved in training a tribal law enforcement officer. Currently, tribal recruits spend 13 weeks training in New Mexico before returning home.
In South Dakota, Governor Kristi Noem is currently banned from all nine reservations. Despite this, Noem and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley designed a state-run law enforcement training course for tribal law enforcement recruits in Pierre.
The training aims to boost participation, retention, and offer officers a chance to visit home on weekends.
Senator Rounds has requested the Bureau of Indian Affairs to consider opening a federal tribal law enforcement center in South Dakota.
