Three agencies in South Dakota are increasing efforts to close gaps of injustices of violent crimes on reservations.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and tribal law enforcement are working on an effort called Operation Ballistic Backlog.
The operation focuses on unsolved shootings by clearing backlogs of firearms seized in criminal investigations and testing them on the ATF’s ballistic database.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Christopher Dotson, an FBI agent, said the initiative provides an opportunity to work with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, who had hundreds of firearms in their custody.
By working together these agencies will test the firearms against evidence found at various crime scenes.
Dotson acknowledged the history of mistrust of federal agents, emphasizing the importance of establishing trust with tribes to solve cases.
The three agencies will collaborate by using tools and resources to analyze firearms and comparing them to the ATF database. Other officials said this may be key to solving many Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons cases.
