Insights into Tribal Law Enforcement Challenges

Police Chief Magazine|Columns|The Brief|The Brief: The Complexities of Indian Country Policing

The Brief: The Complexities of Indian Country Policing

Shawn Butler, Director, Catawba Nation Tribal Police Department, and Craig D. Uchida, PhD, President Justice & Security Strategies, Inc.

As of July 2024, there are 574 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes in the United States. In addition, there are 324 federally recognized American Indian reservations in 35 states. Among these tribes there are 258 tribal police departments with at least one sworn officer with arrest authority.