For Halloween, beyond increasing their presence on the streets during that holiday, law enforcement officers from the Crow Agency, Northern Cheyenne Agency, Wind River Agency and Spokane Agency went into schools to talk with children from kindergarten to sixth grade about safety when trick-or-treating. They distributed Halloween bags filled with candy, pencils, pens, rulers and crayons to each student. The officers at the Crow Agency and Northern Cheyenne Reservation sponsored a Spook House for the children of the community. "This is something new that the BIA Law Enforcement is doing, we haven't had this kind of involvement in the community in the past, we're trying more preventive measures," said Police Sargent Ben Snyder of the Wind River Police Department. "We're trying to get into more community involvement so that the public will view us as their friend, not their enemy," said Snyder. "The activities allows us to get into the community and find out things we normally don't find out." This involvement has led to the citizens in Wind River, Wyo. starting their own community watch program, with the assistance of the Police Department, to eliminate drugs and violence on their reservation.
Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement officers jobs may be dealing with lawbreakers, but their hearts deal with all the citizens of the communities they serve. Better policing doesn't always involve arresting someone, sometimes it means trying to build trust with the citizens of that community. In an effort to build a bridge, the BIA Police in District V, who uphold law and order for tribal nations in Montana, Wyoming and western Washington are already seeing the results of their actions. "Personal satisfaction comes from knowing you are helping someone in your community," said Snyder. "To see a smile on a kids face or an elder person is payback enough."
Because this is the beginning of the holiday season, other plans involve sponsoring bake sales and raffles, with the proceeds going toward providing holiday baskets for the elderly and needy of the community. Officers will be donating their time to go into schools and elders homes to serve holiday meals. BIA law enforcement personnel also are providing rifle safety courses, recording personal belongings for identification in case of theft, and working with tribal courts to update Tribal Codes for traffic safety.
The District V of the BIA Law Enforcement includes Crow Agency, Crow, Mont., Northern Cheyenne Reservation, Lame Deer, Mont., the Wind River Reservation, Wind River, Wyo., and Spokane Agency, Spokane, Wash.
