WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) sent a letter to the Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior requesting a meeting to discuss options for law enforcement training in South Dakota.
Currently, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) requires a majority of tribal law enforcement officers to receive training at a facility in New Mexico. Discussions with tribal and law enforcement leaders have indicated that the distance to this facility is a barrier for recruiting law enforcement officers in the region. Recently, leaders of tribes in South Dakota have declared states of emergency because of rampant crime.
“With no basic federal training options for tribal law enforcement on the Great Plains, prospective officers are opting to work for local agencies or leave the law enforcement field altogether,” Rounds said. “This has been especially difficult for law enforcement in the Great Plains Region, which is home to some of the largest tribes in the nation. We need to support them during a time where crime is rising everywhere nationwide, but especially on tribal lands.”
Read the full letter HERE.
