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1 1 (January 8, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/govenye0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing the legisi itive debate since 1914 Updated January 8, 2024 Department of the Interior Law Enforcement Programs Overview The Department of the Interior (DOI) employs law enforcement officers (LEOs) for a variety of purposes including fostering public safety, protecting natural and cultural resources, and enforcing federal laws and regulations. Law enforcement on lands administered by DOI and its bureaus is of perennial interest to Congress. Issues of focus relate to funding, jurisdictional disputes between federal and nonfederal law enforcement agencies, use of body cameras, and more recent concerns around excessive force and police-community relations, among others. As of December 2023, DOI employed roughly 3,400 LEOs. DOI's law enforcement contingent is the fourth largest among executive branch departments, after the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and Veterans Affairs. The majority of DOI LEOs are assigned to six organizational units within four DOI bureaus (see Figure 1). These bureaus/units are the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA); Bureau of Land Management (BLM); Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS's) Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) and Division of Refuge Law Enforcement (REF); National Park Service (NPS); and U.S. Park Police (USPP) within NPS. A seventh unit in the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) was dissolved in 2017. In addition, several DOI offices and programs employ LEOs for a variety of duties. Figure I. DOI Law Enforcement Employment (as of December 2023) Total LEO Employment: 3,411 1,400 1=46 1,200 1,000 800 SOC 523 540 400 ?,116 200 0 3 BIA BLM BOR OLE REF N IP OTHER RHH& W1FE AT Source: Totals provided to CRS on December 20, 2023, by DOI. Notes: BIA = Bureau of Indian Affairs; BLM = Bureau of Land Management; BOR = Bureau of Reclamation; OLE = Fish and Wildlife Service - Office of Law Enforcement; REF = Fish and Wildlife Service - Division of Refuge Law Enforcement; NPS = National Park Service; USPP = U.S. Park Police. Other reflects law enforcement officer employment figures for the Office of Inspector General and other DOI offices, including for the Office of Law Enforcement and Security, the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, and the Office of Aviation Services. All totals reflect on-board employment figures. DOI defines law enforcement officer as a person who has entered the Federal service through established selection criteria, has received professional training according to published standards, and has been commissioned or sworn to perform law enforcement duties (DOI Departmental Manual Part 446 Ch. 1). Generally, LEOs include employees who are authorized to carry firearms, execute and serve warrants, search for and seize evidence, make arrests, and perform such duties as authorized by law. The category broadly includes uniformed police officers, investigative agents, correctional officers, and various other positions within DOI. Since 2001, DOI's Office of Law Enforcement and Security (OLES) has provided direction, oversight, and coordination across DOI's various law enforcement units (Secretarial Order No. 3234, Enhanced Coordination of Department of the Interior Law Enforcement and Security). The specific duties of DOI LEOs can vary considerably based on the type (e.g., investigative agent vs. correctional officer), seniority (supervisory vs. nonsupervisory), and geographic location of the position. For example, in the American Southwest, officers may deal with unauthorized recreational off-highway vehicle users and archaeological resource crimes, whereas LEOs working in urbanized areas may be responsible for managing special events and political demonstrations, as well as performing other law enforcement duties. The following sections provide a brief overview of DOI law enforcement units, their enforcement activities, and the authority under which they operate. The sections also briefly discuss additional law enforcement support for DOI and its bureaus. Bureau of Indian Affairs Jurisdiction over offenses or crimes committed on tribal lands may lie with federal, state, or tribal agencies, depending on the offense, the location of the offense, and whether the offender or victim is an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe. Although most police departments and detention centers on tribal lands are administered by tribes under their sovereign authorities, some are operated and administered by the BIA, largely under the authority of the Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act (25 U.S.C. §§2801-2809). As of 2018 (the last year for which data are available), roughly 9% of all police departments and 25% of detention centers on tribal lands were administered by the BIA (Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census of Tribal Law Enforcement, 2019). Staff in BIA- administered police departments and jails are considered federal employees rather than tribal employees. As of December 2023, BIA employed 166 uniformed police officers, 195 special agents, and 162 correctional officers, for 523 total LEOs.

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