Zinke Announces $1.1 Million In Funding For Tribal Law Enforcement

Press Release

Today, Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke announced $480,223 and $505,125 in grant funding for the Chippewa Cree and Crow Tribes, respectively. These Department of Justice grants will strengthen law enforcement and justice systems on reservations to better serve the people of the Chippewa Cree and Crow Tribes. These grants are awarded through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to help local law enforcement better understand and address community-specific issues. The grants will be used to hire new officers and purchase new equipment for the two tribe's law enforcement agencies.

"These grants are an integral investment in our tribes that will have a profound and positive impact on the lives of the Chippewa Cree and the Crow people," Zinke said. "Earlier this year we were reminded that Native American women and girls are 10-times more likely to be murdered than other women across the country. It's a devastating statistic we need to eliminate through more awareness and action. I commend both tribes on their hard work on these grants and know that they will go a long way toward keeping everyone safe."

American Indian women are killed at a rate more than 10 times the national average. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, homicide was the third leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women between ages 10 and 24, and the fifth leading cause of death between ages 25 and 34.

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