South Dakota tribe to declare state of emergency due to rampant crime on reservation

By TRISHA AHMED
Associated Press/Report for America

The leader of a South Dakota tribe says he will declare a state of emergency on a reservation because of rampant crime including gun violence, drug offenses and rapes. Oglala Sioux President Frank Star Comes Out says the declaration planned for Saturday on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is a result of the U.S. government’s inadequate funding for law enforcement. The move comes six months after a federal judge ruled the U.S. government has a treaty obligation to support law enforcement on the reservation. The judge declined to determine funding levels. Star Comes Out says conditions on the reservation have worsened since the ruling.