In the past 10 years, only seven tribal law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty. Two of those losses have occurred this year. In addition to Officer Bruguier, Police Officer Joshua Yazzie was killed in an automobile accident on the Ute Indian Reservation in Utah while serving with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Law Enforcement.
According to the Tribal Law and Policy Institute, there are over 200 tribal police departments in America, staffed with only 2,300 officers. Just like traditional agencies, these range from small 2-officer departments to departments with over 200+ officers protecting 250,000 citizens in an area larger than the state of Connecticut. Unlike traditional agencies, these officers often work alone in extremely remote areas with no hope for a quick response from backup officers. At the same time, they are combating crime created by a higher than normal rate of alcohol and drug abuse.
Reservations that lie on or near the U.S. / Mexican border, such as the Tohono O'Odham Nation, also have to deal with the very dangerous reality of narcotics and human smuggling operations orchestrated by Mexican drug cartels. Four U.S. Border Patrol agents and one U.S. Customs Service patrol officer have been killed in the line of duty on the reservation since 1986.
In total, 51 members of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Law Enforcement and 40 members of individual tribal police departments have been killed in the line of duty. We join the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial at FLETC-Artesia in honoring these fallen heroes:
| Ak-Chin Tribal Police Department Maricopa, AZ Fallen officers: 2 |
| Cherokee Nation Marshal's Service Tahlequah, OK Fallen officers: 3 |
| Colville Tribal Police Department Nespelem, WA Fallen officers: 2 |
| Crow Nation Tribal Police Department Crow Agency, MT Fallen officers: 1 |
| Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribal Police Department Fallon, NV Fallen officers: 1 |
| Flathead Indian Nation Police Department Pablo, MT Fallen officers: 1 |
| Hannahville Tribal Police Department Wilson, MI Fallen officers: 1 |
| Jicarilla Apache Tribal Police Department Dulce, NM Fallen officers: 1 |
| Miccosukee Tribal Police Department Miami, FL Fallen officers: 1 |
| Navajo Division of Public Safety Window Rock, AZ Fallen officers: 8 |
| Oglala Sioux Tribal Police Pine Ridge, SD Fallen officers: 1 |
| Oneida Tribal Police Department Oneida, WI Fallen officers: 1 |
| Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma Police Red Rock, OK Fallen officers: 1 |
| Pojoaque Pueblo Tribal Police Department Santa Fe, NM Fallen officers: 1 |
| Quinault Tribal Police Department Taholah, WA Fallen officers: 2 |
| Rocky Boy's Tribal Police Department Box Elder, MT Fallen officers: 1 |
| San Carlos Apache Tribal Police Department San Carlos, AZ Fallen officers: 3 |
| San Ildefonso Pueblo Tribal Police Santa Fe, NM Fallen officers: 1 |
| Seminole Nation of Oklahoma Lighthorsemen Police Wewoka, OK Fallen officers: 1 |
| Seminole Tribe of Florida Department of Law Enforcement Hollywood, FL Fallen officers: 1 |
| Tohono O'odham Nation Police Department Sells, AZ Fallen officers: 1 |
| United States Department of the Interior - Bureau of Indian Affairs - Division of Law Enforcement Washington, DC Fallen officers: 51 |
| Ute Mountain Tribal Police Department Towaoc, CO Fallen officers: 1 |
| Warm Springs Tribal Police Department Warm Springs, OR Fallen officers: 1 |
| White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department Whiteriver, AZ Fallen officers: 1 |
| Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department Toppenish, WA Fallen officers: 1 |
