INITIALS POSTS
Policing in Indian Country is different than the typical policing we see on an everyday basis. The culture, geography, and economy affect how law enforcement officers do their job. For this discussion, you will identify the problems and challenges law enforcement officers face in Indian Country and explain how community policing may be applied to remedy these issues.
First, ensure that you have read the required resources for this module, specifically, the article Policing on American Indian Reservations.
In your initial post, you will discuss the American Indian reservation. In one paragraph, address the following:
- Identify the problems and challenges that are prevalent on American Indian reservations.
- Explain how the strategy of community policing may be applied to law enforcement on reservations. How may community policing address the problems and challenges? Are there any downfalls to utilizing community policing in Indian Country?
Resources:
1- Brinkley Spencer ‘s Discussion Posts
I think that policing on American Indian reservations faces several significant challenges. According to Wakeling, Jorgensen, and Michaelson (2001), prevalent issues include high crime rates, particularly related to alcohol abuse and domestic violence, and an increasing rate of violent crime. Tribal police departments are often understaffed and underfunded, patrolling large areas with minimal resources. It’s complex jurisdictional boundaries between tribal, federal, and state law enforcement agencies create confusion and delays in addressing crime. Administrative challenges, such as high turnover rates and management inefficiencies, further hinder law enforcement efforts.
The strategy of community policing may help address some of these challenges by fostering closer relationships between law enforcement officers and the local community (Wakeling et al., 2001). Community policing allows officers to collaborate with local leaders and residents, which can help build trust and enable law enforcement to tailor strategies to the community’s cultural and social needs. For example, involving community members, particularly elders and tribal leaders, in crime prevention and conflict resolution can strengthen public safety efforts in a culturally appropriate manner.
However, there are potential drawbacks to implementing community policing in Indian Country. One challenge is the deep mistrust of law enforcement in some communities due to historical injustices and past conflicts with federal agencies (Wakeling et al., 2001). Additionally, the limited resources available to tribal police departments may hinder the full implementation of community policing strategies. Lastly, community policing may not address underlying systemic issues, such as the negative impact of federal policies that have weakened tribal control over their policing institutions, which could limit its long-term effectiveness (Wakeling et al., 2001).
References
Wakeling, S., Jorgensen, M., & Michaelson, S. (2001). Policing on American Indian reservations. National Institute of Justice.
2- Katy Hileman ‘s Discussion Posts
Policing on an American Indian reservation is fraught with problems and challenges that are unique to the Indian Nation and each tribal area. Several challenges are prevalent in many American Indian police departments. Some examples are a lack of funding, appropriate oversight, poor management, and staffing challenges that lead to high turnover rates and officers not well-suited to the profession (Wakeling et al., 2001). Departments often lack the technological and human resources needed to appropriately respond to an increase in violent crime. Research supports that tribal police departments have access to approximately 55 to 75 percent of non-Indian departments’ resources (Wakeling et al., 2001). There is a lack of trust that can be linked to Federal policies that create situations where local policing is not congruent with cultural norms (Wakeling et al., 2001). Even within their unique government, interference from the Bureau of Indian Affairs can harm local policing due to cultural differences.
The community policing strategy could be applied to law enforcement on reservations in a few ways. This strategy would empower tribal communities to shape their police departments, ensuring that systems and approaches are culturally aligned. This should support efforts to ensure police policy is meeting the needs of the community being served. If implemented, community policing could assist in building the trust and respect needed for successful communication and interaction between the police and community members. One thing that struck me was the idea of a tribal elder who could be dispatched with a police officer to assist with a service call. This is similar to the Crisis Intervention model or co-responder programs that are becoming increasingly popular amongst non-Indian police departments. Instead of taking a trained mental health professional, a tribal elder would be utilized to help meet the unique needs of the person to improve the outcomes of these contacts.
There are potential downfalls to implementing the community policing strategy in tribal policing. Funding is one downfall. If there is not enough funding to support staffing and training needs, community policing cannot become the foundation for changing policies and practices in these departments. The lack of trust between the community and the police departments could also be a downfall. Finally, if policies are not changed to support community policing, there can be no measurable improvement in practice. Those policies cannot be changed without appropriate administrative resources.
Reference
Wakeling, S., Jorgenson, M., & Michaelson, S. (2001, January). Policing on American Indian Reservations. National Institute of Justice Journal, 2–7. https://doi.org/10.1037/e527932006-002
Let me know if you need more information from me to complete the assignment. Please see all the attachments.
Any references to the textbook or other outside sources must be properly cited using APA-formatted, in-text citations.