Top two Big Horn County Law Enforcement officials soon take office: Bart Elliott (with glasses), appointed as first Northern Cheyenne Under Sheriff and Robert Frank Simpson, elected as Sheriff in November. Photo from A Cheyenne VoiceFirst ever Northern Cheyenne appointed as Under Sheriff
By Clara Caufield
Native Sun News Correspondent BUSBY, Mont. –– Newly elected Big Horn county Sheriff, Robert Simpson has made local history by appointing the first Northern Cheyenne tribal member, Bart Elliott to serve as his Under Sheriff, the second highest law enforcement official in the County. The Under Secretary runs day-to-day operations reporting directly to the Sheriff. Bart Elliott, recent Highway Safety Officer for the Northern Cheyenne Tribe graduated from the Montana Law Enforcement Academy and has an extensive background in law enforcement including Tribal Highway Safety officer, the B.I.A. and Rosebud County. Simpson stressed “Race is not a factor I look at. In choosing Bart, I considered his law enforcement back ground, work history and being a long-term Big Horn County resident.” Yet, he also concedes that Elliott’s reservation law enforcement experience will be a definite asset to the Big Horn County force. Simpson narrowly won election in November, defeating 8-year incumbent Pete Big Hair, member of the Crow Tribe by 62 votes. During the contest Simpson campaigned heavily on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation while Big Hair focused on Crow. The new Sheriff is familiar with Cheyenne Reservation, about half of which is located in Big Horn County. Though residing on the Crow Reservation, Simpson also lived and worked on the Northern Cheyenne the Reservation in his younger years, related to Northern Cheyenne tribal members through his brother (deceased) married to a Cheyenne woman. Simpson also noted that Big Horn County is over 65% Indian, encompassing both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Reservations. Jurisdiction for some of that area, however, is under the B.I.A. State troopers and county officers can only enforce traffic laws for non-Indians on the highways bisecting the Reservations, including the secondary highways. Speeding truckers have long been a concern on Highway 212, the scene of a number of trucker-related fatalities in recent years. And residents using secondary highways (314 on Northern Cheyenne and 313 on Crow) complain about heavy traveled tourist and boater traffic, often traveling at excess speeds to Yellowtail Dam and the Tongue River Reservoir. Simpson and Elliott promise increased county enforcement on all these routes. Elliot who will continue to the Muddy Creek, Northern Cheyenne area notes that he will be traveling highway 212 daily, and diligently enforce State traffic law. “Truckers beware,” he grinned. Queried about the high rate of Native prisoners in Big Horn County Jail, Simpson, who takes office on December 29, 2014, said he didn’t know why that is, but suggested lack of driver’s license and insurance could be big factors. Drivers stopped for something simple like a broken tail light without driver’s license, registration or insurance incur jail time and fines. Neither Crow nor Cheyenne have these requirements and poverty factors in, Elliott noted. “I don’t believe that Big Horn officers are targeting Native Americans,” Simpson stated. “If so, it won’t happen under my watch.” Currently, Big Horn County has 18 officers needing 22 at full capacity. Only two Native officers have been employed by the County in recent years including James “Red” Tomahawk” a deputy sheriff who recently transferred to the B.I.A. “We really tried to convince him to stay. He was a good officer,” both Simpson and Elliott reported. While there are Native employed in corrections, dispatch and food service, “I’d love to have more local employees, but they have to pass the Police Officer, Standards and Training Test (POST).” Simpson stressed. Elliott said the POST test is not particularly difficult. “We encourage people to take this test when it is given, administered by the MT Law Enforcement Academy and at local locations, the next in Hardin scheduled in the spring," Elliott said. “Law enforcement hiring in the State, including Big Horn County is predominantly from the POST list which demonstrates basic knowledge.” On the other hand he noted that some local applicants have problems with the Federal back ground check, also mandated by the State requiring clean driving record, being insurable, no felonies or domestic abuse charges. “They have be pretty clean cut with good ethics,” Simpson stresses. Presently Big Horn County is advertising for several law enforcement vacancies encouraging locals to apply “Right now, many of the Big Horn officers are not local,” Simpson noted. “Good officers, but for positions currently being advertised I’d love to have local officers because they know the area and the people making for quicker response”. Elliott agrees saying that it takes from six months to a year for a non-local officers to learn the area and the people. Simpson used Lodge Grass an incorporated town within the Crow Reservation, where he lived, as an example. Many new officers, unfamiliar with Natives might at first feel uncomfortable in that area he speculated. Simpson believes that area-wide law enforcement could be improved through cooperative agreement with the Tribes and other law enforcement agencies. This notion has been discussed but never finalized with the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, yet other Montana tribes have entered into Memorandums of Understanding with local law enforcement agencies. Simpson and Elliott will meet with local and elected leaders across the county, including tribal officials. They plan to be accessible, encouraging citizens with concerns to contact them. “You won’t see a lot of big changes right off,” Simpson cautioned. “The improvement we have in mind will occur over time, but will happen.” Elliott agreed “It didn’t get this way overnight and it won’t change overnight, but we’ll give it our very best effort.” After taking office, Sheriff Simpson and Under Sheriff Elliott can be contacted at (406) 665-9812. (Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
Join the Conversation
