U.S. Justice Department awards $12 million to Oklahoma tribes

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded more than $12.5 million to 13 Oklahoma tribes to improve public safety and programs for crime victims.

The grants are among 206 national awards totaling more than $97 million announced Wednesday for American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, tribal consortia and tribal designees.

U.S. Attorney Sanford Coats in Oklahoma City says the awards will help Oklahoma tribes fight crime, strengthen community policing, serve crime victims and protect their communities. U.S. Attorney Danny Williams Sr. in Tulsa says the grants reflect the Department of Justice’s commitment to helping tribes improve public safety and prevent violence against women.

The Oklahoma tribes include the Absentee Shawnee, Cherokee, Cheyenne and Arapaho, Choctaw, Comanche, Eastern Shawnee, Iowa, Kaw, Muscogee (Creek), Osage, Quapaw, Chickasaw and Wyandotte nations.