The streets of Oklahoma are getting a little safer, as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District joins the nationwide effort to crack down on Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons cases.
On May 5, National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced increased efforts to tackle Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons cases and human trafficking in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
"There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured," said Attorney General Garland. "In carrying out our work, we seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain."
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma is working closely with tribal governments and local grassroots advocacy groups to make sure law enforcement has access to critical information regarding missing loved ones. "Addressing crime in Indian country requires a continued, efficient, coordinated law enforcement effort from all levels," said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
The Department of Justice has created the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places ten attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The program includes the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has issued MMIP Guidelines for Oklahoma, pursuant to Savanna’s Act, which includes important provisions for improving law enforcement and justice protocols and enhancing cooperation between agencies. The Guidelines provide suggested procedures to all law enforcement for investigating missing persons cases, addressing jurisdictional concerns, registering victim protection orders into the National Crime Information Center, and issuing Amber Alert, Kacey Alert, and Silver Alert notifications through the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
"We will continue to prioritize our support of victims and will steadfastly pursue investigations into the crime impacting American Indian and Alaska Native communities," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. The DEA is also committed to keeping tribal communities safe from deadly drugs like fentanyl.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma is committed to bringing justice to Indian country victims and holding criminal offenders accountable. "We remain committed to work with our local, state, tribal, and federal partners to bring justice to Indian country victims and hold criminal offenders accountable," said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
Related Federal Cases
- Feds Crack Down on Crime in Indian Country · Alaska
- Oregon Feds Step Up for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day · Washington
- MMIP Crisis Deepens: DOJ Stepped Up Efforts to Tackle Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons · Alaska
- North Dakota DOJ Cracks Down on Missing Indigenous Persons Crisis · Alaska
- Indigenous Women, Children Vanish in Oklahoma, Feds Pledge Action · Alaska
Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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