KLAMATH, Calif. – The Yurok Tribe in Northern California has been chosen as the first pilot program for the US Marshals Service’s missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative.
The agency hopes to develop tribally-led partnerships to proactively examine public safety issues, especially those involving missing endangered children.
The initiative will reportedly bring together people from Yurok Tribe and the USMS to share information, identify goals, and develop strategies for improving public safety.
According to the Yurok Tribe, the partnership may include activities such as training on missing child investigations, investigative support, data analysis, and public outreach.
USMS Director Ronald L. Davis hopes the partnership will help address missing children from the Yurok Tribe and other public safety initiatives.
Yurok Tribe Chairman Joseph L. James said he’s grateful for the partnership and hopes it will increase the tribe’s capacity to keep their community safe.
Tribal and USMS personnel have already met to discuss potential collaborations on projects related to sex offender registration and enforcement, missing children, and fugitives from justice.
“The longstanding work of Yurok Tribe, combined with these newly-forged relationships, led to the selection of Yurok Tribe as the first pilot site,” the tribe said.
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