The number of Native American tribes reporting crime data to the FBI and subsequently receiving federal law enforcement grant funds quintupled between 2008 and 2010, according to a new report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
The data comes as part of the agency’s first annual report to Congress, as mandated by the Tribal Law and Order Act. For the past year, BJS has worked with the FBI to train tribal law enforcement staff in Uniform Crime Reporting standards. When tribes meet reporting criteria, they can become eligible for federal Byrne grants.
In 2008, 25 tribes reported data to the UCR, and only 5 were eligible for Byrne grants. In 2010, 144 tribes reported, with 22 tribes eligible for more than $700,000 in federal law enforcement grants.
See also: News stories and resources on tribal justice issues from a recent CMCJ symposium here.