U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee | U.S. Department of Justice
Law enforcement officers from the Choctaw Police Department and Neshoba County have joined the Mississippi Safe Trails Task Force (STTF), a collaborative initiative led by the FBI to address crime on the Choctaw Indian Reservation. Officers Robert York, Jakob Waiter, and Deputy Mark Flake are the latest members to join this effort.
Robert A. Eikhoff, Special Agent in Charge of the Jackson Mississippi Field Office, emphasized the importance of collaboration: "The implementation of the Mississippi Safe Trails Task Force ensures the FBI and partnering agencies work together to protect members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and investigate criminal activity with a federal nexus in and around the Reservation Communities in Mississippi. The Task Force is dedicated in keeping our tribal communities safe by working along-side our partners, training together, and offering resources."
The STTF has been an integral part of combating violent crime and drug trafficking in Indian Country for nearly three decades. It collaborates with various law enforcement bodies including DEA, ATF, as well as tribal, state, and local agencies.
In December 2022, approval was granted to establish the Mississippi STTF at the FBI's Jackson field office. This task force includes officers from several departments such as Leake County Sheriff's Department, City of Carthage Police Department, Jones County Sheriff's Department alongside those from Choctaw Police Department and Neshoba County Sheriff's Department.
U.S. Attorney Todd Gee from the Southern District of Mississippi stated that efforts have been intensified to improve cooperation between law enforcement entities: “The Department of Justice has been working hard to strengthen law enforcement cooperation with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and other law enforcement partners in order to better address violent crime, the fentanyl crisis, and other public safety issues in Tribal communities.”