ND Hopes to Receive Federal Help for DAPL Law Enforcement Costs

Erin Mundahl | InsideSources

After months of footing the bill for increased law enforcement around the Standing Rock protest camps, the state of North Dakota looks to finally be getting federal help. Under the Obama administration, state and local law enforcement received little assistance in either manpower or funding to help cover increased law enforcement costs. With the approval of the DAPL easement, however, federal agencies appear to be taking a more active role in assisting area law enforcement.

On Tuesday, members of the National Sheriffs’ Association met with President Donald Trump to ask for assistance in closing the protest camps. Despite repeated calls for closure, a small band of defiant protesters remains on site. The sheriffs requested help from Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Marshals, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. They also wanted a stronger response from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The location of the protests complicates police jurisdiction. The drill site itself is on land owned by the Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Lake Oahe reservoir. However, the Standing Rock reservation itself falls under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

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