Idaho tribes look to fill in gaps in law enforcement on reservations

Monday, September 5, 2011  

Tribes in Idaho are working with the federal government to fill in gaps in law enforcement on their reservations.

The tribes will be cross-deputized to enforce some federal laws against non-Indians. The process should be complete by next spring, The Spokesman Review reports.

“Most people, when they need a police officer, they just need a police officer that’ll handle the situation – they don’t care the color of their shirt,” St. Maries Mayor Tami Holdahl, who is also a police officer for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, told the paper.

Law enforcement in Indian Country has been a contentious issue in Idaho. A bill to help tribes enforce local laws ran into significant controversy.

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Bridging the gap (The Spokesman Review 9/5)