Hold Team Meetings . Monitor and Evaluate Your Efforts . Sustain Your SART . Know Your Team . Critical Issues
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Law Enforcement Officials
Tribal Law Enforcement
According to the National Congress of American Indians69—
- Police in Indian Country function within a complicated jurisdictional net, answer to multiple authorities, operate with limited resources, and patrol some of the most desolate of territory often without assistance from partner law enforcement agencies.
- There are only 2,380 Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal uniformed officers available to serve an estimated 1.4 million [people] covering over 56 million acres of tribal lands in the lower 48 states.
- On tribal lands, 1.3 officers must serve every 1,000 citizens, compared to 2.9 officers per 1,000 citizens in non-Indian communities with populations under 10,000.
- At least 4,290 sworn officers are needed in Indian Country to provide the minimum level of coverage enjoyed by most communities in the United States.
To address criminal justice issues and victim-centered responses in Indian Country, it is vital that SARTs work to promote productive relationships between Indian Nations, the Federal Government, and state governments.
In This Toolkit: American Indian Victims
Improving the Relationship Between Indian Nations, the Federal Government, and State Governments Defines the unique sovereign status of Indian Nations and examines contemporary problems between Indian Nations and state and federal governments. It also includes information on developing, implementing, and using written cooperative agreements.
National Tribal Judicial Center Address the specific needs of Native American and Alaska Native tribal law judiciaries.
Tribal Law Enforcement 2000 Reviews tribal law enforcement agencies.
Indian Tribal Sovereignty Reviews the major federal legislation affecting criminal jurisdiction on tribal land and discusses the impact of the federal Constitution on the tribes.
Maze of Injustice: The Failure To Protect Indigenous Women From Violence Provides information on and recommendations for overcoming law enforcement policing issues, providing forensic medical examinations, overcoming barriers to prosecution, and providing accessible support services for survivors.
Resource Guide for the Development of a SART in Tribal Communities Assist communities in developing policies and procedures for the investigation, prosecution, and provision of services in sexual assault cases involving American Indian victims.
