Attorney General Merrick B. Garland met with Tribal leaders and law enforcement officials from nine South Dakota Tribal Nations at a roundtable held at the Yankton Sioux Nation to discuss public safety issues. The Attorney General was joined by Senator Mike Rounds. The visit highlighted the Department’s efforts to address public safety and justice in Tribal communities across South Dakota, including combating violent crime, drug-related crime, and the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous persons.
The roundtable discussion included representatives from the offices of Senator John Thune and Representative Dusty Johnson. Representatives from the nine South Dakota Tribal Nations, including the Yankton Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe discussed the public safety challenges facing their communities. Acting Director Daron T. Carreiro of the Justice Department’s Office of Tribal Justice and U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota also participated in the roundtable.
Recognizing that progress on public safety issues depends on successful partnerships, the Department — primarily through the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Attorney’s Office — has launched joint operations to address violent and drug-related crimes in Tribal communities. These include FBI’s Safe Trails Task Forces to conduct joint investigations to combat drug trafficking in Tribal communities; FBI’s Operation Not Forgotten to surge resources into Tribal communities to address unsolved crimes; and the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program.
Since 2021, the Department has provided over $19 million in funding specifically for Tribes in South Dakota to support Tribal public safety programs. This funding has gone toward hiring, equipping, and training officers; improving handling of child abuse cases; combating domestic and sexual violence; supporting Tribal youth programs; and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities.
Addressing crises such as missing or murdered Indigenous people continues to be a priority for the Justice Department. In addition to rolling out the MMIP Regional Outreach Program and addressing cold cases through FBI’s Operation Not Forgotten, efforts are guided by recommendations from the Not Invisible Act Commission’s final report.
Other topics raised during Attorney General Garland's visit included increased public safety funding and improvements to grant resources and officer training.
Earlier in the day, Attorney General Garland met with prosecutors and federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement partners from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota. During this meeting he highlighted efforts to decrease violent crime and combat fentanyl epidemic alongside U.S. Attorney Ramsdell.
Photo credit: Senator Rounds’ office.
Photo credit: Senator Rounds’ office.
Photo credit: Senator Rounds’ office.