Billings, Montana - "Native American women and children suffer disproportionally high rates of domestic violence and sexual assault and too often go missing or are murdered. In recent years, Montana has had several tragic cases, and the Montana U. S. Attorney’s Office is committed to doing its part to address this crisis,” Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said today.
“In the last year we have continued to work closely with the Montana MMIP State Task Force to identify the root causes of this problem and to develop solutions. In April, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes announced the completion of their tribal community response plan (TCRP), which identifies how tribal law enforcement, working with local, state and federal law enforcement and community partners, will respond when someone goes missing. This work was done in partnership with my office, the FBI, local and state law enforcement agencies and community organizations as part of the Department of Justice’s MMIP Initiative. It was the first such plan completed in the United States. Currently, several other tribes have begun developing similar response plans to address missing persons in their communities.
“Although we have made marked progress in the last year, we recognize that there is still much work to do. Today, we remember all those who have been murdered or have disappeared. We remain committed to finding the missing and seeking justice for the murdered. By all of us working together, I believe we can end this crisis."