Post by blackcrowheart on Mar 16, 2006 10:22:13 GMT -5
The FBI has a long history of service to the Native American
Congressional Testimony
www.fbi.gov/congress/congress06/burrus031506.htm Statement of
James H. Burrus Jr. Acting Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative
Division Federal Bureau of Investigation Before the Senate Committee on
Indian Affairs March 15, 2006 Good morning Chairman McCain, ranking
member Dorgan, and members of the Committee on Indian Affairs. I
appreciate the opportunity to appear and provide testimony about the FBI
and its work in Indian Country, especially as it relates to the
protection of Indian children. The FBI has a long history of service to
the Native American people throughout the United States and dedicated
special agents of the FBI's Indian Country Program work hard to deliver
quality law enforcement service to tribal communities of all sizes. We
remain strongly committed to our role in Indian Country and to our
partnerships with tribal, local, state, and federal agencies in Indian
Country. There are 561 federally recognized Indian tribes in the United
States and approximately 297 Indian reservations with over one million
Native American residents on or near reservation lands. The FBI has
federal law enforcement responsibility on more than 200 of those Indian
reservations and federal criminal jurisdiction over acts directly
related to Indian gaming regardless of jurisdiction status. The FBI
currently has 114 special agents addressing 2,076 Indian Country matters
in 22 field offices. Eight FBI field offices account for nearly 90
percent of all Indian Country casework in the FBI and the FBI's Indian
Country resources are focused on reservations where the FBI has primary
federal investigative authority. The FBI's priorities in Indian Country
focus on the most serious crimes of violence, including homicide, child
sexual and physical abuse, and violent assault. FBI investigations in
these priority categories comprise over 70 percent of all FBI
investigations in Indian Country. The challenges do not end there, as
crime related to gangs and drugs are on the increase, Indian gaming
investigations remain important, and the FBI always stands ready to
protect tribal communities from political corruption. The FBI in Indian
Country is simultaneously addressing many different aspects of crime in
Indian Country and remains fully engaged. During the period covering
fiscal years 2003 through 2006, the FBI initiated 1,658 investigations
and made 537 arrests in matters involving Indian child sexual abuse.
During the same period, the FBI initiated 134 investigations and made 39
arrests in matters involving Indian child physical abuse. This
represents approximately 30% of all FBI investigations in Indian Country
during that period. Crimes against Indian children have been, and will
remain, a top priority for the FBI. The FBI routinely receives reports
of Indian child abuse from various local law enforcement agencies in
Indian Country, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Law
Enforcement Services (BIA-OLES). In cases of Indian child abuse reports
received by FBI field divisions, investigations are conducted either by
FBI special agents or task force members working with the FBI on Indian
Country Safe Trails Task Forces (STTF). In limited circumstances, the
allegations may be referred to tribal, BIA, or other law enforcement
agencies for investigation and presentation to tribal courts as deemed
necessary. Additionally, the FBI receives referrals of allegations of
Indian child abuse from other public service entities such as schools,
medical professionals, and child protective service organizations. Some
of these referrals are the direct result of FBI participation on
Multi-Disciplinary Teams or Child Protection Teams in Indian
communities. There may be instances where child abuse complaints are
received and investigated by other law enforcement agencies in Indian
Country and the FBI is not made immediately aware of those allegations.
However, the FBI and other law enforcement partners in Indian Country
strive to ensure all allegations of child abuse are reported to us and
immediately addressed. Allegations of child abuse are documented in FBI
investigative files if an investigation is initiated. In cases where the
FBI refers the allegations to either tribal law enforcement or BIA-OLES,
the allegation may be documented in a complaint form or other
communication. Child abuse allegations received by the FBI and
documented in a format other than an investigative file represent child
abuse reports with various dispositions, including unsubstantiated
reports, referral to other investigative agencies, or immediate
declinations of prosecution. The Office for Victim Assistance (OVA)
ensures that victims of federal crimes investigated by the FBI are
afforded the opportunity to receive notification of investigation status
and receive victim services. OVA employs 31 victim specialists dedicated
to Indian Country, serving 38 Indian nations. In addition to providing
information on victims' rights and the criminal justice process, these
victim specialists also provide on-scene crisis intervention, accompany
agents to interviews, arrange forensic exams, and accompany victims to
court proceedings. Victim specialists establish working relationships
with tribal councils to coordinate services and assure cultural
understanding. Our partnerships with Indian Country law enforcement and
tribal communities are critical to successfully addressing Indian child
abuse. There are several successful programs in Indian Country that I
would like to highlight. Since FY 2004, the FBI has supported the
Tribal Tele-Medicine Initiative in South Dakota, a joint effort by the
FBI's Minneapolis Division, Midwest Children's Research Center, Indian
Health Service, Department of Justice, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Midwest
Regional Children's Advocacy Center, and the National Children's
Alliance. The goals of this initiative are to provide a means to
introduce forensic pediatric specialists early into Indian Country child
abuse investigations and to build stronger multidisciplinary teams in
Indian Country. This program utilizes video teleconferencing
capability, along with specialized audio and video equipment, to connect
the examining physician in Indian Country with child abuse medical
experts in an off-site location. This process not only allows expert
medical evaluation of the child victim but also minimizes trauma to the
child that may result from multiple medical examinations and interviews.
Through this project, experienced medical and treatment personnel are
also accessible to service areas and tribal facilities in rural or
isolated communities. The FBI also supports the Tohono O'Odham
Reservation Children's House (TORCH), a joint effort between the Tohono
O'Odham Nation Police Department (TOPD), FBI, and the Southern Arizona
Children's Advocacy Center, which serves to exponentially enhance the
overall investigative effectiveness in addressing child sexual assaults.
TORCH provides the child victims of sexual/physical abuse and their
families with an immediate, safe, child-friendly and culturally
sensitive environment that is conducive to effective forensic
interviewing. These two efforts are directly aimed at improving the
quality of child abuse investigations while minimizing additional trauma
to the child victim. In circumstances where the establishment of a
permanent forensic center is not an option, the FBI partners with other
organizations to seek creative solutions to problems. One example is the
FBI's use of the Childhelp Children's Mobile Advocacy Center of Northern
Arizona during child abuse and sexual assault investigations. This
mobile unit in Arizona travels to or near the victims' reservation to
prevent the child and family from having to travel long distances to an
advocacy and medical facility for interview and physical examination. By
delivering the forensic interview and sexual assault examination
capability to the child victim, the traumatic effect on the child and
family is vastly reduced. The FBI faces many unique obstacles in
investigating crimes against children in Indian Country. Included among
those are remote territories requiring substantial travel for
investigation, long travel distances for access to technical expertise,
reluctant witnesses due to close family structures in most tribal
communities, and cultural sensitivities in tribal relations. The FBI is
fully committed to preparing Indian Country law enforcement, including
FBI special agents, with the knowledge and skills required to address
such important investigations. Pursuant to a mandate from Congress to
provide training to Indian Country law enforcement officers, the FBI has
trained nearly 5,500 Indian Country law enforcement officers and agents
since 1997. This training is closely coordinated with the BIA's Indian
Police Academy. Together the FBI and BIA will offer 21 regional training
conferences during FY 2006, including specialized training in child
abuse, forensic interviewing of abused children, crime scene
investigation, child sexual assault and abuse investigations. The FBI
is committed to protecting Native American children from abuse and what
clearly constitutes a threat to the future of Indian children and their
communities. We look forward to working with this committee to
accomplish this worthwhile goal. I would now be happy to answer any
questions.
Congressional Testimony
www.fbi.gov/congress/congress06/burrus031506.htm Statement of
James H. Burrus Jr. Acting Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative
Division Federal Bureau of Investigation Before the Senate Committee on
Indian Affairs March 15, 2006 Good morning Chairman McCain, ranking
member Dorgan, and members of the Committee on Indian Affairs. I
appreciate the opportunity to appear and provide testimony about the FBI
and its work in Indian Country, especially as it relates to the
protection of Indian children. The FBI has a long history of service to
the Native American people throughout the United States and dedicated
special agents of the FBI's Indian Country Program work hard to deliver
quality law enforcement service to tribal communities of all sizes. We
remain strongly committed to our role in Indian Country and to our
partnerships with tribal, local, state, and federal agencies in Indian
Country. There are 561 federally recognized Indian tribes in the United
States and approximately 297 Indian reservations with over one million
Native American residents on or near reservation lands. The FBI has
federal law enforcement responsibility on more than 200 of those Indian
reservations and federal criminal jurisdiction over acts directly
related to Indian gaming regardless of jurisdiction status. The FBI
currently has 114 special agents addressing 2,076 Indian Country matters
in 22 field offices. Eight FBI field offices account for nearly 90
percent of all Indian Country casework in the FBI and the FBI's Indian
Country resources are focused on reservations where the FBI has primary
federal investigative authority. The FBI's priorities in Indian Country
focus on the most serious crimes of violence, including homicide, child
sexual and physical abuse, and violent assault. FBI investigations in
these priority categories comprise over 70 percent of all FBI
investigations in Indian Country. The challenges do not end there, as
crime related to gangs and drugs are on the increase, Indian gaming
investigations remain important, and the FBI always stands ready to
protect tribal communities from political corruption. The FBI in Indian
Country is simultaneously addressing many different aspects of crime in
Indian Country and remains fully engaged. During the period covering
fiscal years 2003 through 2006, the FBI initiated 1,658 investigations
and made 537 arrests in matters involving Indian child sexual abuse.
During the same period, the FBI initiated 134 investigations and made 39
arrests in matters involving Indian child physical abuse. This
represents approximately 30% of all FBI investigations in Indian Country
during that period. Crimes against Indian children have been, and will
remain, a top priority for the FBI. The FBI routinely receives reports
of Indian child abuse from various local law enforcement agencies in
Indian Country, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Law
Enforcement Services (BIA-OLES). In cases of Indian child abuse reports
received by FBI field divisions, investigations are conducted either by
FBI special agents or task force members working with the FBI on Indian
Country Safe Trails Task Forces (STTF). In limited circumstances, the
allegations may be referred to tribal, BIA, or other law enforcement
agencies for investigation and presentation to tribal courts as deemed
necessary. Additionally, the FBI receives referrals of allegations of
Indian child abuse from other public service entities such as schools,
medical professionals, and child protective service organizations. Some
of these referrals are the direct result of FBI participation on
Multi-Disciplinary Teams or Child Protection Teams in Indian
communities. There may be instances where child abuse complaints are
received and investigated by other law enforcement agencies in Indian
Country and the FBI is not made immediately aware of those allegations.
However, the FBI and other law enforcement partners in Indian Country
strive to ensure all allegations of child abuse are reported to us and
immediately addressed. Allegations of child abuse are documented in FBI
investigative files if an investigation is initiated. In cases where the
FBI refers the allegations to either tribal law enforcement or BIA-OLES,
the allegation may be documented in a complaint form or other
communication. Child abuse allegations received by the FBI and
documented in a format other than an investigative file represent child
abuse reports with various dispositions, including unsubstantiated
reports, referral to other investigative agencies, or immediate
declinations of prosecution. The Office for Victim Assistance (OVA)
ensures that victims of federal crimes investigated by the FBI are
afforded the opportunity to receive notification of investigation status
and receive victim services. OVA employs 31 victim specialists dedicated
to Indian Country, serving 38 Indian nations. In addition to providing
information on victims' rights and the criminal justice process, these
victim specialists also provide on-scene crisis intervention, accompany
agents to interviews, arrange forensic exams, and accompany victims to
court proceedings. Victim specialists establish working relationships
with tribal councils to coordinate services and assure cultural
understanding. Our partnerships with Indian Country law enforcement and
tribal communities are critical to successfully addressing Indian child
abuse. There are several successful programs in Indian Country that I
would like to highlight. Since FY 2004, the FBI has supported the
Tribal Tele-Medicine Initiative in South Dakota, a joint effort by the
FBI's Minneapolis Division, Midwest Children's Research Center, Indian
Health Service, Department of Justice, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Midwest
Regional Children's Advocacy Center, and the National Children's
Alliance. The goals of this initiative are to provide a means to
introduce forensic pediatric specialists early into Indian Country child
abuse investigations and to build stronger multidisciplinary teams in
Indian Country. This program utilizes video teleconferencing
capability, along with specialized audio and video equipment, to connect
the examining physician in Indian Country with child abuse medical
experts in an off-site location. This process not only allows expert
medical evaluation of the child victim but also minimizes trauma to the
child that may result from multiple medical examinations and interviews.
Through this project, experienced medical and treatment personnel are
also accessible to service areas and tribal facilities in rural or
isolated communities. The FBI also supports the Tohono O'Odham
Reservation Children's House (TORCH), a joint effort between the Tohono
O'Odham Nation Police Department (TOPD), FBI, and the Southern Arizona
Children's Advocacy Center, which serves to exponentially enhance the
overall investigative effectiveness in addressing child sexual assaults.
TORCH provides the child victims of sexual/physical abuse and their
families with an immediate, safe, child-friendly and culturally
sensitive environment that is conducive to effective forensic
interviewing. These two efforts are directly aimed at improving the
quality of child abuse investigations while minimizing additional trauma
to the child victim. In circumstances where the establishment of a
permanent forensic center is not an option, the FBI partners with other
organizations to seek creative solutions to problems. One example is the
FBI's use of the Childhelp Children's Mobile Advocacy Center of Northern
Arizona during child abuse and sexual assault investigations. This
mobile unit in Arizona travels to or near the victims' reservation to
prevent the child and family from having to travel long distances to an
advocacy and medical facility for interview and physical examination. By
delivering the forensic interview and sexual assault examination
capability to the child victim, the traumatic effect on the child and
family is vastly reduced. The FBI faces many unique obstacles in
investigating crimes against children in Indian Country. Included among
those are remote territories requiring substantial travel for
investigation, long travel distances for access to technical expertise,
reluctant witnesses due to close family structures in most tribal
communities, and cultural sensitivities in tribal relations. The FBI is
fully committed to preparing Indian Country law enforcement, including
FBI special agents, with the knowledge and skills required to address
such important investigations. Pursuant to a mandate from Congress to
provide training to Indian Country law enforcement officers, the FBI has
trained nearly 5,500 Indian Country law enforcement officers and agents
since 1997. This training is closely coordinated with the BIA's Indian
Police Academy. Together the FBI and BIA will offer 21 regional training
conferences during FY 2006, including specialized training in child
abuse, forensic interviewing of abused children, crime scene
investigation, child sexual assault and abuse investigations. The FBI
is committed to protecting Native American children from abuse and what
clearly constitutes a threat to the future of Indian children and their
communities. We look forward to working with this committee to
accomplish this worthwhile goal. I would now be happy to answer any
questions.