South Dakota US Senator Mike Rounds is asking the Department of Interior to open a tribal law enforcement training center in the Great Plains.
Currently, prospective officers are sent to the Indian Police Academy in New Mexico for training.
"The current requirement to send prospective officers to the Indian Police Academy directly impacts the tribal law enforcement workforce. Many tribal law enforcement leaders believe that the distance to this New Mexico facility is a barrier to recruitment," Rounds said in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgam. "Rather than receive training at the IPA, many prospective officers are opting to attend local academies and work for non-tribal agencies."
Burgum is the former Governor of North Dakota.
It’s the second time in two years the state’s junior Republican senator requested the Interior Department to open a location in the Great Plains.
Beginning last year, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley’s office has partnered with tribes located in the state to train new law enforcement officers.
