Moapa Band's new law enforcement department stays busy

Wednesday, January 30, 2013  

The Moapa Band of Paiute Indians in Nevada has a small but growing police force that manages to stay busy.

The tribe has 10 officer that patrol the 75,000-acre reservation. But it''s the 10-mile stretch of Interstate 15 that seems to provide the most action.

In 2012 alone, Police Chief Kevin Moore said the officers seized about 27 pounds of marijuana, five pounds of cocaine and over 24 pounds of methamphetamine. One stop alone last year saw the seizure of $1.8 million in cash, a record in the state.

“It was a huge amount of money,” Moore told The Mohave Progress. “It took up two full size tables at about 18 inches deep, just stacked with cash. And no one ever came to claim the money. So you know that it wasn’t legitimate.”

The tribe's officers are able to issue citations to non-Indians in tribal court. They can also issue citations in county court.

Get the Story:
A New And Improved Moapa Tribal Police Force (The Moapa Valley Progress 1/30)