A tribal patrol officer. Photo from Southern Ute Tribe

The Southern Ute Tribe of Colorado is hosting the 23rd annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference.

Top Department of Justice officials attended the event at the Sky Ute Casino Resort in Ignacio. Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates and Acting Associate U.S. Attorney General Stuart Delery delivered remarks and said they will work closely with tribes to improve law and order in Indian Country.

"Improving public safety and the fair administration of justice in tribal communities have been and remain top priorities for the Department of Justice," Yates said at the conference. "Far too many of our American Indian and Alaska Native brothers and sisters live in fear, oftentimes in their own homes –whether it’s because of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, harassment or sexual abuse."

As part of that effort, Yates last week announced the Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information to implement a key provision of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. The law requires DOJ to allow tribes to access key law enforcement databases but progress has been slow.

"Historically, the ability of tribes to fully participate in national criminal justice information sharing has been dependent upon various regulations, statutes policies of the states in which a tribe’s land is located," Yates noted.

The Four Corners Indian Country Conference is organized by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah and DOJ's Office for Victims of Crime.

Get the Story:
Feds giving law enforcement access to national crime databases (The Denver Post 8/27)
U.S. attorneys hear safety concerns on native communities (The Durango Herald 8/27)
Top DOJ brass on Southern Ute reservation to hear from community about issues (KOB 8/26)
Crime Program Aims To Close Trust Gap Between Government, Tribes (NPR 8/25)

Federal Register Notice:
National Instant Criminal Background Check System Regulation (November 20, 2014)

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DOJ seeks to open criminal databases to tribal governments (07/17)
Tribes seek access to criminal system in child placement cases (04/20)
County still lacks record of order in Tulalip Tribes domestic case (04/08)
Tribal courts seek greater access to state and federal systems (04/06)