Bureau of Indian Affairs Police
Encyclopedia
The Bureau of Indian Affairs Police, usually known as the BIA Police is the law enforcement arm of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
which polices Indian tribes and reservation
s that don't have their own police force, and oversee other tribal police organizations. BIA Police services are provided through the Office of Justice Services Law Enforcement
A BIA Police Officer is a Federal Police Officer who enforces federal law relating to Indian Country, including, but not limited to Title 16, Title 18, and Title 21 of the United States Code as well as the Code of Federal Regulations. BIA has nationwide jurisdiction to enforce federal law relating to crimes committed within or involving Indian Country and officers are usually found near the various Indian Reservations. BIA Police Officers may enforce tribal law if the tribe consents by deputizing the BIA and its officers. In some cases, BIA Police Officers are granted authority to enforce tribal law by tribal ordinance or statue. They may also be granted authority to enforce state laws by state statute.
The BIA has hiring preferences for Native American
s, but will hire nonmembers who have the proper qualifications or educational requirements.
The operations division consists of telecommunications, uniform police and criminal investigations. Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the District offices are located in Aberdeen, South Dakota (District I); Muskogee, Oklahoma (District II); Phoenix, Arizona (District III); Albuquerque, New Mexico (District IV); Billings, Montana (District V); and Nashville, Tennessee (District IV).
Along with providing direct oversight of Bureau programs, the operations division also provides technical assistance and some oversight to law enforcement programs contracted or compacted by tribes under Self-Determination and Self-Government Policy.
They respond to calls concerning emergencies such as traffic accidents, domestic violence and disorderly conduct. They maintain law and order within the area of assignments by patrolling in a patrol vehicle, investigating suspicious situations, and taking action as appropriate. They perform such assignments as working radar on busy highways, participating in night surveillance in high crime areas, and participating in traffic and crowd control activities. They make arrests in cases of crime or misdemeanors which they personally witnessed; they take persons arrested to appropriate authorities for booking or formal charging.
BIA Officers also enforce all laws and regulations within his/her authority related to possession, use, distribution, trafficking and manufacturing of controlled substances.
BIA Police serve Federal, State, or local or tribal warrants, subpoenas and other court papers; testifies at hearings and trials as an expert witness in Federal, State, local or tribal courts as required; and prepares and submits reports of incidents or traffic accidents, daily and weekly activities, and narratives and statistical reports as required.
BIA Police officers also conduct, usually independently, investigative work.
s/Criminal Investigators (Series 1811) investigate a wide range of criminal activity including homicide, rape, sexual abuse, and assaults. These types of investigations may include activities such as surveillance, undercover operations, affecting arrests, evidence collection, search warrant execution, interviewing, Grand Jury appearances, case preparation, and trials involving criminal defendants in both Federal and Tribal court. Special Agents are also involved in various activities such as special task forces combating illegal drugs, emergency operations task forces, and providing disaster relief and support to other agencies and departments.
law.
This classroom study is augmented with hands-on training in photography, crime scene investigation, foot and vehicle patrol, conducting raids, interviewing suspects and witnesses, searching for evidence, and collecting evidence. This training, and later field experience make OJS Police Officers among the best in the world.
Salaries for Police Officers begin at the GS-3/4/5/6/7/8 level. After gaining experience in the field, some Police Officers may decide to advance their careers and apply for management/Special Agent positions. These positions are located in various Agency Offices, and would include Chief of Police positions. The management/Special Agent/Chief of Police selection process is competitive and can provide advancement to the GS-9 through GS-12 levels.
. This training includes courses in criminal law, use of force, rules of evidence, surveillance, arrest procedures, search warrant procedures, detention and arrest, use of firearms, vehicle operations, and courtroom demeanor.
This classroom study is augmented with hands-on training in photography, crime scene investigation, foot and vehicle surveillance, conducting raids, interviewing suspects and witnesses, searching for evidence, and collecting evidence. This training, and later field experience make OJS Special Agents among the best in the world.
Salaries for Special Agents can begin at the GS-7/9/11 level, or the GS-9/11/12 level, depending upon which positions are available. Special Agents receive an additional 25% in availability pay. After gaining experience in the field, some Special Agents may decide to advance their careers and apply for management positions. These positions are located in various District Offices, Central Office, and in some cases, at the agency level. The management selection process is competitive and can provide advancement to the GS-13, GS-14, and GS-15 levels.
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
which polices Indian tribes and reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
s that don't have their own police force, and oversee other tribal police organizations. BIA Police services are provided through the Office of Justice Services Law Enforcement
A BIA Police Officer is a Federal Police Officer who enforces federal law relating to Indian Country, including, but not limited to Title 16, Title 18, and Title 21 of the United States Code as well as the Code of Federal Regulations. BIA has nationwide jurisdiction to enforce federal law relating to crimes committed within or involving Indian Country and officers are usually found near the various Indian Reservations. BIA Police Officers may enforce tribal law if the tribe consents by deputizing the BIA and its officers. In some cases, BIA Police Officers are granted authority to enforce tribal law by tribal ordinance or statue. They may also be granted authority to enforce state laws by state statute.
The BIA has hiring preferences for Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s, but will hire nonmembers who have the proper qualifications or educational requirements.
Operations
The Division of Operations consists of six regional Districts with 208 Bureau and tribal law enforcement programs. Of the 208 programs, 43 are operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.The operations division consists of telecommunications, uniform police and criminal investigations. Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the District offices are located in Aberdeen, South Dakota (District I); Muskogee, Oklahoma (District II); Phoenix, Arizona (District III); Albuquerque, New Mexico (District IV); Billings, Montana (District V); and Nashville, Tennessee (District IV).
Along with providing direct oversight of Bureau programs, the operations division also provides technical assistance and some oversight to law enforcement programs contracted or compacted by tribes under Self-Determination and Self-Government Policy.
Police Officers
The BIA Police Officers (Series 0083) respond to calls concerning felonies and misdemeanors under Federal, State, local and tribal laws, they Investigate, apprehend, arrest, and detain all persons charged with violation of Title 18 of the United States Code.They respond to calls concerning emergencies such as traffic accidents, domestic violence and disorderly conduct. They maintain law and order within the area of assignments by patrolling in a patrol vehicle, investigating suspicious situations, and taking action as appropriate. They perform such assignments as working radar on busy highways, participating in night surveillance in high crime areas, and participating in traffic and crowd control activities. They make arrests in cases of crime or misdemeanors which they personally witnessed; they take persons arrested to appropriate authorities for booking or formal charging.
BIA Officers also enforce all laws and regulations within his/her authority related to possession, use, distribution, trafficking and manufacturing of controlled substances.
BIA Police serve Federal, State, or local or tribal warrants, subpoenas and other court papers; testifies at hearings and trials as an expert witness in Federal, State, local or tribal courts as required; and prepares and submits reports of incidents or traffic accidents, daily and weekly activities, and narratives and statistical reports as required.
BIA Police officers also conduct, usually independently, investigative work.
Special Agents
BIA Police Special AgentSpecial agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
s/Criminal Investigators (Series 1811) investigate a wide range of criminal activity including homicide, rape, sexual abuse, and assaults. These types of investigations may include activities such as surveillance, undercover operations, affecting arrests, evidence collection, search warrant execution, interviewing, Grand Jury appearances, case preparation, and trials involving criminal defendants in both Federal and Tribal court. Special Agents are also involved in various activities such as special task forces combating illegal drugs, emergency operations task forces, and providing disaster relief and support to other agencies and departments.
Police Officer
BIA Police Officers begin their career with 16 weeks of formal training in police and criminal investigative techniques at the Indian Police Academy. This training includes courses in criminal law, use of force, rules of evidence, surveillance, arrest procedures, search warrant procedures, detention and arrest, use of firearms, vehicle operations, courtroom demeanor, and Indian CountryIndian Country
Indian country is a term used to describe the many self-governing Native American communities throughout the United States. This usage is reflected in many places, both legal and colloquial...
law.
This classroom study is augmented with hands-on training in photography, crime scene investigation, foot and vehicle patrol, conducting raids, interviewing suspects and witnesses, searching for evidence, and collecting evidence. This training, and later field experience make OJS Police Officers among the best in the world.
Salaries for Police Officers begin at the GS-3/4/5/6/7/8 level. After gaining experience in the field, some Police Officers may decide to advance their careers and apply for management/Special Agent positions. These positions are located in various Agency Offices, and would include Chief of Police positions. The management/Special Agent/Chief of Police selection process is competitive and can provide advancement to the GS-9 through GS-12 levels.
Special Agent
OJS Special Agents begin their career with 10 weeks of formal training in criminal investigative techniques at the Federal Law Enforcement Training CenterFederal Law Enforcement Training Center
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center serves as an interagency law enforcement training organization for 90 United States government federal law enforcement agencies.-Location:...
. This training includes courses in criminal law, use of force, rules of evidence, surveillance, arrest procedures, search warrant procedures, detention and arrest, use of firearms, vehicle operations, and courtroom demeanor.
This classroom study is augmented with hands-on training in photography, crime scene investigation, foot and vehicle surveillance, conducting raids, interviewing suspects and witnesses, searching for evidence, and collecting evidence. This training, and later field experience make OJS Special Agents among the best in the world.
Salaries for Special Agents can begin at the GS-7/9/11 level, or the GS-9/11/12 level, depending upon which positions are available. Special Agents receive an additional 25% in availability pay. After gaining experience in the field, some Special Agents may decide to advance their careers and apply for management positions. These positions are located in various District Offices, Central Office, and in some cases, at the agency level. The management selection process is competitive and can provide advancement to the GS-13, GS-14, and GS-15 levels.
LODD
Total Line of Duty Deaths: 47- Aircraft accident: 1
- Assault: 2
- Automobile accident: 3
- Drowned: 1
- Gunfire: 37 (includes 1 Accidental)
- Stabbed: 2
- Vehicular assault: 1
See also
- List of United States federal law enforcement agencies
- List of protective service agencies
- Federal police
- Law enforcement in the United States
- United States Indian PoliceUnited States Indian PoliceThe United States Indian Police were organized in 1880 by John Q. Tufts the Indian Commissioner in Muskogee, Indian Territory, to police the Five Civilized Tribes. The USIP recruited many of their police officers from the ranks of the existing Indian Lighthorsemen...
- Indian agency policeIndian agency policeIndian agency police were policemen hired by the Indian agent during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, assigned to a Native American tribe. Many tribes had no recognizable governments and therefore no tribal laws. On these reservations, the Indian Agent hired tribal members to effect law and...
- Indian tribal policeIndian tribal policeIndian tribal police are peace officers hired by those Native American tribes which have a constitutional government on Reservations, as opposed to hereditary chiefs...
- Outline of United States federal indian law and policyOutline of United States federal Indian law and policyLaw and U.S. public policy related to Native Americans has evolved continuously since the founding of the United States. This outline lists notable people, organizations, events, legislation, treaties, court cases and literature related to United States Federal Indian Law and Policy.-U.S. Supreme...