The Justice Department has awarded 152 grants to 90 American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes through its Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), totaling more than $84 million.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced these awards during a Justice Department and Department of the Interior convening with Tribal leaders, advocates, members of the media, and federal officials to discuss how media coverage can be channeled to help address the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT).
The grants awarded under CTAS are designed to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses, improve the handling of child abuse cases, combat domestic and sexual violence, support Tribal youth programs, and fund an array of services for American Indian and Alaska Native crime victims. The CTAS awards are administered through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).
“We have heard from Tribal leaders about the complex public safety challenges their communities are facing and about the innovative and culturally appropriate solutions they propose to meet those challenges,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen of OJP. “These investments in Tribal community safety infrastructure, Tribal youth programs, law enforcement activities in Indian country, and services for American Indian and Alaska Native survivors represent a strong and steady commitment on the part of the Office of Justice Programs to the safety of Tribal communities.”
Of the more than $84 million in grants awarded under CTAS, a streamlined application that helps Tribes apply for Tribal-specific grant programs, OJP funded more than $53 million in awards, and the COPS Office funded more than $31 million.
OJP funding supports system-wide strategic planning, the strengthening of Tribal justice system infrastructure, the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases, juvenile healing to wellness courts, and tribal programs for youth.
The COPS Office awarded funds to assist 49 Tribes in hiring personnel, purchasing equipment, and making training grants to expand the implementation of community policing. This CTAS funding can be used to hire or re-hire full-time career law enforcement officers, village public safety officers, and school resource officers and to procure essential equipment, technology, and training to assist in initiating or enhancing Tribal policing efforts.
“The COPS Office is honored to continue assisting with our Tribal partners by providing funding for vital resources that help law enforcement agencies improve services to both their officers and the communities they serve,” said Director Hugh T. Clements Jr. of the COPS Office. “This support is integral to enhancing public safety, protecting the community and continuing to build trust and sustain relationships.”
In addition to the CTAS awards, OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime awarded nearly 200 grants totaling more than $54 million through the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside to provide services for crime victims in Tribal communities.
Additionally, OJP’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking awarded 20 Tribes a total of $7 million to assist in their development of registration and notification.
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Questions from Critical Republicans:
- How will the Justice Department ensure that these grants are effectively utilized to address public safety issues within Tribal communities, rather than being mismanaged or wasted?
- What specific metrics will be used to evaluate the success of these programs funded by the grants, and how will transparency be maintained throughout the process?
- Given the ongoing challenges with crime in various communities, why should we prioritize funding for Tribal nations over other pressing law enforcement needs across the country?
Questions from Critical Democrats:
- How does the Justice Department plan to engage with Tribal leaders and communities to ensure that their unique needs and cultural perspectives are reflected in the implementation of these grants?
- What measures are being put in place to address the systemic issues that contribute to the high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples, beyond just the allocation of these funds?
- In what ways will the DOJ ensure that the funds for combating human trafficking and domestic violence are effectively integrated with existing social services in Tribal communities?
Sources: Justice.gov, Midtown Tribune.,
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