DUNSEITH, N.D. -- A new police chief has taken office on the Turtle Mountain Ojibwa Reservation and already, he has exposed information that should be important to our tribe.
Gerald Medrud was recently hired to manage a department that lacks police manpower.
While reading the county newspaper, I couldn't help but notice the comments that the new chief made about the number of complaints that have come through the Turtle Mountain Law Enforcement Agency. During the past three years, the agency has had an average of 10,000 complaints a year, or 800-900 calls of service from the community a month, he said. Of those, an average of 80 calls a year are crimes of a serious nature, such as rape, child sexual abuse, large drug busts and murders.
For such a small reservation, it was kind of disturbing, the chief went on to say. And it will take more than the police to fix the problem, he said.
I thank this new police chief for addressing this important issue and letting our tribal community know how serious a problem we have on our hands. When the chief said that it'll take more than the police to fix the problem, he couldn't be more straightforward.
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Congressional leaders have recently asked the U.S. Justice Department for information about crimes that have not been prosecuted in Indian Country. The department has refused, saying that releasing the information could mislead the public and jeopardize criminal investigations.
As a tribal member who follows this issue, I criticize the department for not providing information requested by our congressional leaders. I believe there is a commitment to work in collaboration with each other to reduce crime in Indian Country. But to me, this is a obligation not carried out by the justice department.
According to our congressional leadership, 60 percent of crimes committed in Indian Country across the nation are not prosecuted. I guess it is fair to say that crimes committed on tribal lands are a low priority.
The justice department should release information on crimes not prosecuted in Indian Country. It could be beneficial for everyone concerned.
Delvin Cree
