The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas (Kickapoo) will receive a $390,599 federal grant to address violent crime against Indian women. U.S. Attorney John F. Bash joined the Department of Justice today in announcing the award to the Kickapoo as part of more than $13 million in grants being awarded to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
“The specific purpose of this federal grant is to reduce crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking and stalking on the Kickapoo Reservation," stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
With this funding, Kickapoo Tribal Government and Tribal Law Enforcement will develop or provide a crisis hotline, supportive services, support groups and victims assistance such as court accompaniment, advocacy, counseling and transitional housing assistance.
Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs. CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.
“There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues. We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety," said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
For a listing of today’s announced CTAS awards go to: www.justice.gov/tribal/page/file/1095161/download.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
