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BJS Releases Reports on Tribal Law Enforcement and Tribal Data Collection Activities

The Bureau of Justice Statistics, in the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, today released Tribal Law Enforcement in the United States, 2018 and Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2023. These reports present statistics on tribal law enforcement and provide updates on BJS data collection activities on tribal crime.

Tribal Law Enforcement in the United States, 2018 provides details on the law enforcement agencies authorized to issue citations or arrest persons for violating regulations or laws in Indian country (American Indian reservations and other tribal lands) and Alaska Native villages. The report presents the number, size, funding sources, jurisdiction and functions of those agencies.

“These data indicate that, for both tribal law enforcement and Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement agencies, the most common arrest type was domestic violence,” said Dr. Alexis Piquero, Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Findings are from the 2008 Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies and the 2019 Census of Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies.

Title:

Tribal Law Enforcement in the United States, 2018 (NCJ 306022)

Authors: Steven W. Perry and Michael B. Field, BJS Statisticians
Where: https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/tribal-law-enforcement-united-states-2018

Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2023 fulfills the requirement of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TLOA; P.L. 111-211, 124 Stat. 2258, § 251(b)) to report annually on BJS’s activities to establish and enhance a tribal crime data collection system. The 13th in a series that began in 2011 to meet TLOA’s annual reporting requirement, the report highlights data collections that covered tribal populations, summarizes statistical findings on tribal justice agencies and the American Indian and Alaska Native population and provides information on funding to tribes to enhance tribal participation in national records and information systems.

“Among the significant findings to inform policies and programs for this population, 92% of AIAN youth surveyed between 2008 and 2018 reported using any drug in their lifetime while 88% reported ever drinking alcohol, underscoring the seriousness of this issue,” said Dr. Piquero. “Moreover, 84% of all AIAN persons admitted to state prison in 2014 had been arrested for a violent offense at least once in their lifetime,” he added.

Findings are from several data collections, including the Survey of Jails in Indian Country, the National Survey of Youth in Custody and the new Census of Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies and Census of Tribal Court Systems.

Title:

Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities, 2023 (NCJ 307113)

Author: Steven W. Perry, BJS Statistician
Where: https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/tribal-crime-data-collection-activities-2023


About the Bureau of Justice Statistics

The Bureau of Justice Statistics of the U.S. Department of Justice is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing and disseminating reliable statistics on crime and criminal justice in the United States. Alexis R. Piquero, PhD, is the director. More information about BJS and criminal justice statistics can be found at bjs.ojp.gov.

About the Office of Justice Programs

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

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OFFICE: bjs.ojp.gov
CONTACT: OJP Media at [email protected]

Date Published: July 31, 2023