Standing Rock declares public safety emergency amid rising violence, drug use

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe declared a public safety state of emergency on July 8, citing a surge in youth delinquency, gun violence, drug trafficking and delayed emergency response across its 2.3 million-acre reservation. In a resolution passed by the tribal council, Chairwoman Janet Alkire called on the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to fulfill trust obligations by deploying additional law enforcement resources and halting the reassignment of officers to other tribes. The resolution also directs tribal and federal prosecutors to vigorously pursue criminal activity on the reservation and urges community cooperation with BIA officers.