Statements On Introduced Bills And Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleague, Mr. Dorgan, in introducing the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2009. This bill represents a bipartisan effort and crucial step in addressing a serious public safety crisis in many Indian communities throughout our Nation.

During the 110th Congress, the Committee on Indian Affairs held no less than seven hearings on the issue of law and order on Indian reservations. The committee found recurring themes of insufficient resources for law enforcement agencies, inadequate responses to criminal activity, and ineffective communication and coordination.

Criminal elements are well aware of the conditions of near lawlessness in some reservation areas. With great regret, I point to the Wind River Indian Reservation of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho peoples in my home state of Wyoming as an example. The Wind River Indian Reservation consists of approximately 2.2 million acres and has a tribal population of over 11,000.

During fiscal year 2008, the Wind River Indian Reservation had a violent crime rate that was 3.58 times the national crime rate, according to the crime reports published by the Bureau of Indian Affairs within the Department of the Interior. Between 2007 and 2008, the crime rate on the Wind River Indian Reservation escalated from 677 to 748 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants.

Yet despite these troubling statistics, the Wind River Indian Reservation has only 9 law enforcement officers to cover all shifts. According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs' fiscal year 2008 crime report, an additional 22 police officers would be necessary to meet the minimum safety needs of this community. This situation would never be tolerated in other communities. We must address the needs for public safety, law enforcement and justice on Indian reservations head on.

Senator Dorgan and I have worked together to ensure that this bill will assist in increasing the number of police officers on the ground. Through this bill we are sending a strong message that Indian reservations will not be a haven for criminal activity, drug trafficking, gangs, or abuse.

We have set important goals for this legislation. To achieve them, we are proposing some significant changes to the status quo. As we move forward, I intend to solicit more input from stakeholders. The bill will inevitably require some modifications, and I look forward to that process. I consider the introduced legislation to be the beginning of a dialogue that will hopefully lead to refinement and improvement.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source