U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of the Department of Interior Deb Haaland asking them to address the public safety crisis on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
The Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) is responding to an increased number of calls for help related to disproportionately high levels of violent crime. The OST Department of Public Safety receives as many as 166,000 calls for assistance per year with just 33 officers on hand to respond. In addition, OST is running out of room to house offenders once they’re brought in. With all of this in mind, tribal leaders have declared an extended state of emergency on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Despite repeated calls to honor their trust obligations, federal government leaders have failed to effectively or substantially address the issue.
“While tribal officials have dealt with public safety issues for several years, a recent series of violent crimes has created a desperate situation on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation,” wrote Rounds. “The OST Department of Public Safety is critically understaffed and under-resourced, and federal assistance is essential to safeguard lives and restore order.”
“Throughout the past two years, tribal leaders have asked federal law enforcement officials for assistance on numerous occasions,” continued Rounds. “Despite these efforts, there has been no substantial federal response to the public safety crisis. I encourage federal law enforcement agencies to act swiftly and decisively to address this crisis.”