A federal program has awarded over $3 million in Wisconsin for tribal justice and public safety projects. Lac du Flambeau will receive more than a half-million dollars from the so-called COPS grant to increase community policing. John Vaudreuilis US Attorney for Wisconsin’s Western District. He says this type of grant is pretty straightforward.
“Pay for police, keep your police forces, train your police forces. And technical support – it might be recorders, cars, things like that.”
The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission will also receive almost 350-thousand dollars for policing. The federal program for tribes awarded more than 90 million grants in this round of funding. Vaudreuil says though it’s never enough money, the grants can go a long way towards making an impact.
“There are very difficult issues – juvenile justice, the violence against women in Indian Country far exceeds that outside Indian Country. So it’s the idea that we’re not turning our backs on our Native American partners.”
The Menominee tribe will also receive over a quarter million dollars to help prevent violence against women. The Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation program has awarded more than $400 million dollars in the past four years.
