"The mid-August scuffle at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation that resulted in several police officers resigning has had ripple effects that may lead to a safer, more well-policed community.

In mid-August, several Pine Ridge tribal police officers resigned prompting Bureau of Indian Affairs intervention. That intervention included BIA adding 35 police officers at Pine Ridge.

As a result, last week the Oglala Sioux Tribe presented a 20-week plan to the BIA to handle its own law enforcement. The plan includes an internal affairs review, additional officers and a focus on proactive policing and additional vehicles and equipment.

For the next month, at least, the BIA will stay in place on Pine Ridge.

The BIA intervention at Pine Ridge — clearly an area that needed control and oversight — was the right move but it’s not a long-term solution. The real long-term solution to the problems facing Pine Ridge comes in culture change — more than just who is in charge of the police force."

Get the Story:
Editorial: OST plan could address issues (The Rapid City Journal 9/10)

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