WHEREAS, Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) is an Alaska Native tribal health and social services consortium established by the Interior Alaska tribes and tribal communities, to provide a unified voice in advancing sovereign tribal governments through the promotion of physical and mental wellness, education, socioeconomic development and culture of the Interior Alaska Native; and
WHEREAS, TCC’s Full Board of Directors have passed numerous resolutions over the last 10 years directing TCC to improve and strengthen public safety in the rural communities they represent; and
WHEREAS, In November 2013, the Federal Indian Law & Order Commission’s report called it “essential” for the State of Alaska to devolve authority to Alaska Native communities to address local crimes; called safety in Tribal communities the “worst” in of all of the U.S.A, and called Alaska’s approach to criminal justice issues “fundamentally on the wrong track;” and
WHEREAS, In July of 2019, former U.S. Attorney General William Barr declared a law enforcement emergency in rural Alaska; and
WHEREAS, Despite the Indian Law and Order Commission’s 2013 report and call for action, former U.S. Attorney General Barr’s July 2019 declaration, and numerous media reports on the public safety crisis in Alaska Native communities, rural Alaska still faces higher rates of violent crimes, sexual abuse, elder abuse, child abuse, alcohol/drug related crimes, and limited law enforcement presence; and
WHEREAS, TCC’s Full Board of Directors can no longer wait for the public safety system that continues to fail Alaska Natives to fix itself; and
WHEREAS, TCC’s Full Board of Directors realizes that it, on behalf of the communities they represent and through TCC, must develop and strengthen rural public safety and law enforcement presence within the TCC Region to fulfill each sovereign nation’s responsibility to protect its tribal members; and
WHEREAS, Each TCC member that is a federally recognized tribe, as a sovereign nation, through their inherent tribal authority, may authorize their own Public Safety department and/or cross-deputized tribal peace officers to enforce their tribal laws; and
WHEREAS, Law enforcement presence coupled with the philosophy of “Community Policing” is a powerful tool to address substance abuse, child neglect, criminal activity, domestic violence and other public safety issues, such as search and rescue and prevention/outreach; and
WHEREAS, TCC’s Full Board of Directors believes that establishing a Tribal Peace Officer Program to serve the TCC Region will improve public safety.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the Tanana Chiefs Conference Full Board of Directors authorizes and directs TCC, on behalf of the federally recognized Tribes they represent, to establish a Tribal Peace Officer program, which is aligned with the “Community Policing” philosophies and the traditional values of the Tribes in the TCC Region.
Submitted By: Executive Board
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