Sheriff's Monthly Breakfast

Darren A Cruzan, Deputy Bureau Director, Office of Justice Services Bureau (OJB) of Indian Affairs shared the direction the Bureau is taking to encourage and improve working relationships, and performance through team work between Tribal law enforcement and regional law enforcement agencies, i.e. City, County and State agencies. The goal: “catch the bad guys”.

(Image above is Darren A. Cruzan, Sheriff Salisbury and Charles Addington, Associate Director of Operations, Office of Justice Services.)

Darren A Cruzan, Deputy Bureau Director, Office of Justice Services Bureau (OJB) of Indian Affairs and Sheriff Casey Salisbury (l-r).

Cruzan met Mason County’s Top Cop, Casey Salisbury, when Salisbury was attending a FBI training session. Salisbury invited Cruzan to visit Mason County to see how the law enforcement agencies work together to “catch the bad guys” in a rural community.

Cruzan shared his organization’s Mission Statement:

Provide justice services, technical assistance to Federally Recognized Indian Tribes with respect to protect their sovereignty through safe, secure and human correctional services.

Cruzan shared the Bureau’s recent changes in regional law enforcement alignments, funding challenges and successes through partnerships with Tribes and the Bureau. Cruzan linked successes in improving education and economic development to improved public safety. Future focus will be on “humane correctional services”, changing behavior verses the lock up.

Funding for law enforcement is a challenge for everyone, Cruzan’s right hand guy Charles Addington said their funding in through grants, which is an annual ritual to maintain the funding needed by the Tribes. Per Addington, the Tribal Grants are a minor in comparison to the grants available to non tribal law enforcement agencies. There are multiple rural situations worse than Mason County’s ratio of deputy to the amount of territory to patrol and respond. However by combining forces and working together there is more opportunity to succeed and improve current situations.

KMAS News Radio will follow up on this visit with a Day Break Interview with Director Darren Cruzan in the near future.

Sheriff’s Recognition: Exemplified the core values of the Sheriff’s Office, Excellence in Professionalism, Partnership, Accountability, and Respect.

Sheriff Casey Salisbury (on left all below)

Deputy Ruben Castillo recognized for rescuing woman from burning house.