For Immediate Release
September 30, 2005

CONTACT: Gilbert Moore
(202) 616-1728

COPS OFFICE AWARDS $1 MILLION TO TRIBAL COURTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) today announced that it has awarded $1 million to four Tribal Courts to address increased caseloads resulting from more aggressive law enforcement practices. The grants will fund the salaries and benefits of newly hired probation officers, process servers, and other officials of the court. The funding will also be used to train court personnel, to purchase technology systems that support improved case management, and to support other measures that improve tribal court case management.

Grant recipients include: Crow Tribe of Indians (MT), $441,000; Pueblo of Santa Clara (NM), $260,084; Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California (NV), $250,000; Ho Chunk Nation (WI), $114,578.

"Tribal Courts are a vital part of the law enforcement network," said COPS Director Carl Peed. "Tribal law enforcement agencies have grown and have increased their effectiveness. As they bring more and more violators into the criminal justice system, the system must have the capacity to keep up."

Including today's grants, COPS has awarded nearly $183 million in grants to Native American law enforcement agencies through the Tribal Resources Grant Program (TRGP). TRGP is part of a broader federal initiative to strengthen tribal law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. All federally recognized tribes with established police departments and court systems are eligible to receive TRGP funding.

For additional information about TRGP and other COPS resources, please visit COPS Online.

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