Access to criminal data made easier for tribes
Lt. Alvernon Tsosie with the Navajo Nation Criminal Investigations, photographs the crime scene at the home of the alleged shooter on Friday in Fort Defiance. (Times photo - Donovan Quintero)
WASHINGTON
The U.S. Department of Justice is launching a new program that would allow federally recognized tribes better access to national crime information databases.
By making it easier for tribes to gain access to criminal data, the Tribal Access Program will allow tribes to more effectively serve and protect their communities – and it could help prevent criminals from buying guns and keep battered women and foster children safe. The program also could help close the trust gap between tribes and the federal government.
The DOJ announced the initial phase of the new program on Aug. 19 during an annual conference held in Tulsa, Okla., that brought together representatives of the Justice Department, the FBI, Criminal Justice Information Services and tribes.
“Federal criminal databases hold critical information that can solve crimes and keep police officers and communities safe,” Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates said at the conference. “The Tribal Access Program is a step forward to providing tribes the access they need to protect their communities, keep guns from falling into the wrong hands, assist victims and prevent domestic and sexual abuse.”
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