Montana tribe sues US agency over policing and jail space
Associated Press— A southeastern Montana tribe has filed a federal lawsuit against the Interior Department and its Bureau of Indian Affairs, saying the U.S. is not complying with its treaty obligation to provide adequate law enforcement services on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Billings argues the federal government does not provide enough federal law enforcement officers, drug investigators, missing persons investigators or jail space even though violent crime has increased on the reservation, The Billings Gazette reported. “Public safety on-reservation is severely compromised due to the lack of meaningful BIA law enforcement presence in our communities,” Northern Cheyenne Tribe President Serena Wetherelt said in a statement. She added: “Officers often respond to 911 calls too late and even when they do show up, they frequently fail to make reports, secure crime scenes, or arrest people who are actively committing crimes.” The officers also lack of understanding of tribal and federal law, which leads to suspects not being charged or prosecuted, the lawsuit said.
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