Office of Justice Services

The protection of lives, resources, and property is at the heart of the BIA’s law enforcement effort, and fully supports the Secretary’s ongoing commitment to safe and healthy Indian communities. Under the direction of the Deputy Director-Justice Services, the Office of Justice Services (OJS) is responsible for the overall management of the Bureau’s law enforcement program. Its main goal is to uphold the constitutional sovereignty of the Federally recognized Tribes and to preserve peace within Indian Country. For fiscal years 2008-2009, OJS funded 191 law enforcement agencies consisting of 42 BIA operated and 149 tribally operated under contract, or compact for operation with the OJS. The office has seven areas of activity: Criminal Investigations and Police Services, Detention/Corrections, Inspection/Internal Affairs, Tribal Law Enforcement and Special Initiatives, the Indian Police Academy, Tribal Justice Support, and Program Management. The OJS also provides oversight and technical assistance to tribal law enforcement programs when and where requested.

The OJS has primary responsibility for the investigation of crimes that occur in Indian Country, currently the office:

• Develops standards, policies and procedures for BIA-wide implementation.
• Operates the Indian Police Academy.
• Monitors tribally contracted justice services programs.
• Directly operates law enforcement programs for tribes who do not run their own programs.
• Conducts inspections and evaluation of BIA and Tribal Justice Services programs.
• Conducts internal investigations of misconduct by law enforcement officers.
• Provides emergency tactical response teams to reservations requiring assistance, or threatened with disruptions or civil disorder.
• Conducts criminal investigations into criminal violations committed on reservations involving Federal, State, County, Local and Tribal codes.

During FY’2008 and 2009, the major emphasis for OJS program activities has addressed the methamphetamine (meth) crisis, which is considered by many tribal leaders as the number one threat to public safety in Indian Country. With increased resources, the OJS is addressing the issue by strengthening collaborative relations with other Indian Affairs programs as well as with other Federal and Tribal agencies. These efforts include hiring more uniformed officers, increasing services to address child neglect and abuse, and identifying solutions to the shortages of detention center space and personnel.

The combination of small populations spread over large geographic areas, under-developed economies, and the resulting high levels of unemployment have created an environment highly conducive to the current meth crisis especially when these characteristics are combined with the widely dispersed law enforcement presence generally found on Federal Indian reservations. Despite this unique challenge, the BIA Office of Justice Services Programs will continue to carry out its responsibilities and work with the tribes to protect lives, property and to uphold law and justice in Indian Country.