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BIA's 'surge' leaves Wind River Reservation with more crime





During the Bush administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs boosted law enforcement on reservations with significant crime problems.

The so-called "surge" was deemed a success by BIA officials and members of Congress from both parties. But something different happened on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, where violent crime increased seven percent despite the additional resources.

“This place has always had the gloom here,” Kim Lambert told The New York Times. “There has always been the horrendous murder. There has always been the white-Indian tension. It’s always been something.”

During the surge at Wind River, the BIA put 37 officers on the ground, up from the usual six. During that time, two brutal crimes were committed -- the sexual assault and murder of a 13-year-old girl and the beating and murder of a 25-year-old man.

The reservation is home to the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe.

Get the Story:
Brutal Crimes Grip an Indian Reservation (The New York Times 2/3)

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