PIERRE S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) South Dakota will be hosting a Tribal Public Safety Crisis Summit on June 24, 2024, in Pierre.
Although it’s the United States government’s responsibility to provide law enforcement on Reservation Land, around half of the Tribes in South Dakota have complained about the dire situation they find themselves in because of a severe shortage of law enforcement officers.
Governor Kristi Noem says since the feds aren’t doing anything to help, she’s going to try to assist where the federal government has failed. Noem, who has a strained relationship with various Tribal leaders but not necessarily with Tribal members, is hoping the gathering will bring more accountability.
Noem says, “We solve problems best when we work together and communicate – I hope that this Summit will accomplish that.”
Additionally, Noem and Attorney General Marty Jackley announced that the state would hold its first-ever basic certification course geared toward the unique challenges that face Tribal law enforcement officers and non-tribal agencies that border the reservations.
In the past, a handful of tribal officers have trained in South Dakota, but the majority received their training in New Mexico, meaning they had to be away from their families. This 13-week course will allow tribal officers to go home on the weekends.
Tribal officers selected for the training are from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe. The rest of the 24-member class will consist of officers from other non-tribal law enforcement agencies.
The training begins June 3, in Pierre, and concludes on August 30, 2024.