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Native American Crime in the Northwest: 2004-2007--BIA Information from Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington

NCJ Number
224132
Author(s)
Gary R. Leonardson Ph.D.
Date Published
July 2008
Length
201 pages
Annotation

This report presents 2004-2007 data from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) on crimes committed by Native-Americans in the Northwest (Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington).

Abstract

Index crime rates for the combined tribal groups (43 of the 47 tribal agencies provided reportable information for at least one of the years from 2004-2007) were 2,933 property crimes per 100,000 population and 2,186 violent crimes for 2004; 3,182 property crimes and 2,360 violent crimes for 2005; 3,413 property crimes and 2,487 violent crimes for 2006; and 3,443 property crimes and 2,559 violent crimes for 2007. These rates were relatively low compared with the overall United States rates. The tribal agencies that furnished information for this report had very high offense clearance rates, with 60.7 percent cleared by arrest or exceptional means in 2004, 87.6 percent of offenses cleared in 2005, 42.4 percent in 2006, and 55.9 percent clearance rate in 2007. Offenses with the highest clearance rates were elderly abuse (86 percent), homicide (84 percent), drunkenness (82 percent), disorderly conduct (81 percent), child abuse (80.9 percent), and aggravated assault (76 percent). For 2004-2007, alcohol was involved in approximately one-third of the offenses. Crimes of drunkenness, liquor-law violations, and drunk driving had the highest percentage of alcohol involvement. For offenses not directly related to alcohol abuse, alcohol use was indirectly related to disorderly conduct (70.3 percent), homicide (60.0 percent), elderly abuse (58.1 percent), child abuse (56.6 percent), attempted forcible rape (52.4 percent), aggravated assault (50.0 percent), and assault (49.8 percent). Extensive tables