U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines and Representative Matt Rosendale (MT-02) sent a letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) calling attention to serious public safety shortcomings in Indian Country and urging the BIA to work with tribal and government partners to address the safety concerns immediately. The letter comes after an eight-year-old boy was shot and killed in the crossfire of a shootout in Lame Deer, MT.
“It is clear that Tribal law enforcement across Montana is combatting unprecedented threats stemming from an influx of dangerous drugs, violent crimes like murder, human trafficking, and assault, and in some cases cartel members operating with impunity on reservations. The neighboring Crow Tribe is currently investigating the disappearance of a thirteen-year-old girl. Multiple Tribes have declared states of emergency in response to debilitating amounts of meth and fentanyl.
“This crisis is exacerbated by a severe shortage of personnel that are forced to police millions of acres without sufficient equipment. Tribal officers are still operating without body cameras and other necessary equipment despite funding being made available by Congress and Tribes do not know when those resources will be delivered by the BIA. Several Tribes have indicated that they see a lack of transparency over funding for self-determination law enforcement contracts. This demands swift and immediate action,” Daines and Rosendale wrote in the letter.
Read the full letter HERE.
###
Contact: Matt Lloyd, Rachel Dumke