American Indian Report - November/December 2008 - (Page 21)

vide daily patrols and responses to the incidences of crime. …. At the time we started the operation, the violent crime rate was about six times the national average. Standing Rock is not the worst reservation in terms of violent crime incidences, [but] it is unique in that it straddles two states, a large, rural area with a long and historic relationship with the United States. In fact, it is the home of Sitting Bull. What we did, since we did not have the available permanent manpower, is we started influxing additional officers and corrections personnel on to the reservation. … That has amounted to about 20 to 25 more law enforcement officers that they have had. We have had folks up there on detail — the details run from 30 days to two weeks. … Air: The BIA has been really promoting community policing. Can you point to some good programs underway in tribal communities? ragsdale: [Community policing] in a nutshell is aggressive law enforcement to go after criminal offenders. … When someone commits a lawless act, it needs to be responded to, and justice needs to be served up, that is people need to feel the consequences of a justice system. Second, it is getting to know the communities that you are working in. … It means going beyond your basic law enforcement duties, … It is getting to know the community, their issues and problems. … It is simple things, like going to local schools, talking to school administrators and finding out what is going on with our kids, talking “I think it is just common sense. If you have officers out on patrol on a daily basis, it inhibits crime.” Statistically, the first month and a half we made a huge number of arrests for all kinds of offenses, most of them alcohol related or associated with intoxicants or drugs. The last time I looked at our numbers, our arrest levels are down somewhat but are still fairly high. It appears the violent crime incidents seem to be tapering off. The statistics are not dramatic and sustained long enough to demonstrate or prove that it is a given. I think it is just common sense. If you have officers out on patrol on a daily basis, it inhibits crime. If you are able to react faster to minor incidents, you probably prohibit more violence and more severe crimes from occurring. I initially started the operation thinking we would try to sustain it through the summer and give the folks up there some relief. [But] the feedback we have got from the community has caused me to sustain this … until we can hire some additional personnel. [A similar operation was recently launched on the Pine Ridge Reservation.] to them about school safety. It means you have to form alliances, partnerships with the social service providers, the health service providers, people who tend to a community. … The problem is fully implementing it Indian Country. If you only have a few officers responding to a large geographic jurisdiction, you hardly have time to do those extra things. … A good [community policing] example is the Mescalero Police Department, which is a direct operation. We have a police chief that is very much involved in the community and community policing — works with the schools, providers and other folks. … Air: let’s close with the award you recently won. First, congratulations, and second, what was it for? ragsdale: It was for being the Professional law Enforcement Officer of the Year. It was awarded by the National Native American law Enforcement Association. November/December 2008 21 American Indian Report http://www.nnalea.org http://home.comcast.net/~zebrec/index.html http://www.nnalea.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of American Indian Report - November/December 2008

American Indian Report - November/December 2008 Contents Notes from Indian Country Elders Conference Offers Balancing Lessons Student Blanket Design Reflects Plains Horse Culture Congress: Activity on the Hill Prep School Recruits Native Students for Transitional Year Prior to College Honoring Nations Clinton Global Initiative Brings Native American Focus to the World A Q&A with Indian Country’s Top Cop Urban Clinics Go Paperless with IHS Record System Ohkay Owingeh Restores Wetlands, Protects Drinking Water Blogroll

American Indian Report - November/December 2008

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