Following up on a letter from June that requested additional support for tribal law enforcement agencies in South Dakota, federal lawmakers from the state last week urged Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to coordinate those resource issues with other federal departments.
U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and John Thune (R-SD), as well as U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), asked Haaland to coordinate with the Department of Justice (DOJ), among others, to provide both additional resources and to consult with individual tribal leaders on public safety solutions.
“We write to you to follow up on our June 12, 2023, letter and to again report to you that the shortage of law enforcement personnel in South Dakota tribal communities continues to present a significant threat to public safety,” the delegation wrote. “Since the writing of our last letter, tribal law enforcement leaders have reported an increase in violent and drug-related crime. It is critical the Department of the Interior consider the severity of the current situation.”
They encouraged a search for ways to expedite the hiring processes for tribal law enforcement officers and called out what they saw as a serious threat to tribal police officers and law-abiding citizens on reservations – in particular, that in several locales, a handful of officers are tasked with covering millions of acres. At least three tribal governments in South Dakota have, in the last few months, declared states of emergency in response to public safety threats.
“The current situation is causing other tribal leaders in the state to consider doing the same<’ the delegation said. “In response to the police shortage, some residents of tribal communities have even resorted to establishing citizen patrols to look out for crime.” The letter followed recent discussions between the lawmakers and local tribal leaders. As a result, they noted that tribal law enforcement officers have reported higher volumes of illegal drugs in their area. They added that they have not received any specific plans from Interior regarding how to allocate immediate resources, and what they saw as a misbegotten belief from the department that the current crime situation is improving. “If tribal law enforcement agencies in South Dakota do not receive immediate assistance, we fear reservation communities will continue to experience a surge in violent crime,” the delegation concluded.