U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) joined U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) in requesting additional federal support for tribal law enforcement agencies in their home state of South Dakota to reduce violent crimes on reservations.
“South Dakota’s Indian reservations are witnessing a troubling deterioration in public safety,” the Republicans wrote in a June 12 letter sent to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. “We therefore request that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) coordinate with South Dakota tribal leaders to provide additional resources for tribal law enforcement agencies.
“This may include increased funding and manpower from the BIA to deliver improved law enforcement services on South Dakota’s reservations,” they wrote.
Citing crime statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the lawmakers pointed out that South Dakota’s reservations are experiencing some of the highest violent crime rates in the nation, as well as a shortage of law enforcement and detention officers on reservations.
“With low personnel numbers and a high number of calls for assistance, tribal law enforcement officers often struggle to respond to emergencies in a timely manner,” according to their letter, which noted that several tribal leaders have asked the BIA to either streamline law enforcement hiring processes or provide emergency supplemental funding.
Sen. Thune, Sen. Rounds, and Rep. Johnson also requested that the BIA evaluate tribal crime statistics and work directly with individual tribal leaders to address public safety threats, and reminded Haaland that the situation on each reservation is unique and requires individual attention.
“We understand that the BIA has successfully provided needed assistance to tribal law enforcement agencies in the past,” wrote the lawmakers. “If for some reason that is not possible now, we respectfully ask that the BIA search for any reasonable alternative to improve law enforcement services on South Dakota’s reservations.”