Central ND News

Senator John Hoeven has secured a commitment from U.S. Department of the Interior officials to expand the U.S. Indian Law Enforcement Advanced Training Center (ATC) at Camp Grafton, aiming to recruit and train additional Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law enforcement officers. This initiative seeks to address crime in tribal communities.

During hearings of the Senate Indian Affairs and Interior Appropriations Committees this week, Hoeven emphasized the need for increased law enforcement presence in Indian Country. He obtained support from BIA Assistant Secretary Bryan Newland for enhancing operations at Camp Grafton ATC.

In 2020, Hoeven facilitated funding to establish the ATC at Camp Grafton, providing localized training options for BIA officers in the Upper Great Plains. Alongside the U.S. Police Academy in Artesia, New Mexico, Camp Grafton offers training for various roles including police officers, criminal investigators, correctional officers, dispatchers, and command staff working in Indian Country.

The specialized advanced training at Camp Grafton covers areas such as criminal investigations, narcotics investigations, and missing children’s investigations. Additionally, it addresses newer needs like school resource officer training and opioid overdose protocols.

“The need for additional trained law enforcement officials in Tribal communities continues to grow. In 2020, I worked to help address this need in North Dakota through the formation of the BIA Advanced Training Center at Camp Grafton to provide training for law enforcement in the Upper Great Plains,” said Hoeven.

According to BIA’s most recent data from 2021, 5,429 law enforcement and public safety personnel participated in training programs offered at both Camp Grafton ATC and the Indian Police Academy in New Mexico. Over half of these participants received their training at Camp Grafton.

“That’s good progress,” added Hoeven. “But we need to do more, and key officials at the Interior Department committed to work with us to train and recruit more law enforcement officials for our tribal communities.”