WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is vowing to address rising crime and the breakdown of justice on Indian reservations across the West, planning to roll out a series of initiatives this year to address what officials concede is a mounting crisis.
The package will be designed in consultation with tribal leaders in the coming months and presented at a final "listening session" in the fall attended by representatives from hundreds of tribes and led by Attorney General Eric Holder.
It's an effort to address spiraling rates of viol ent reservation crime, including rape, child sexual assault, domestic assault and beatings — as well as a net of underlying causes, from insufficient prison space to neglect by federal investigators and prosecutors.
"We envision this tribal nations listening conference to be really about bringing a true action agenda," said Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli, the Justice Department's third in command.
Comparing it to a similar initiative under the Clinton administration, Perrelli said the agenda might include "a very significant request for additional resources. We're not at that point yet, but we hope soon to know what it is we're going to ask for."
But in addressing Indian Country crime, an administration that already plans to tackle some of the country's most vexing policy problems has taken on another — a breakdown in public safety complicated by jurisdictional oddities, insufficient resources and thorny politics.
Obama's going to have to be careful to make sure that something is actually done this time. If you read the rest of the article, there is cynicism about this initiative. People need to be shown that this isn't more of the same ol' same ol'...
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