The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1954-07-30
Law, Order Is
Problem Up
For Solution

Recently Browning has gained
some measure of publicity and
notoricty because of what seems
to be an increasingly acute law
and order problem. The most
outrageous violation to date
seems to be an unwarranted at.
tack by persons unknown upon
the property of local business.
men.-attacks which constituted
the breaking of windows in local
business places and other destruc-
ton of property.
1t seems that some people are
inclined to blame these incidents
on the recent legalizcd sale of
liquor on the Blackfeet Reserva-
ton. Others seem inclined to
credit the incidents to the con.
flicting jurisdiction over Indians
of State. County. municipal and
Federal law enforcem n t
agencies.
But let's face the facts. Any
law or regulation designed for
public protection is only as good
as the men who enforce it. All
the law and authority in the
world will be ineffective if it is
only being paid lip service.
On the local level, the question
of jurisdiction does not seem to
pose a particular problem when
the facts are known.
City police in the Town of
Brow ing are commissioned
special officers of the US. Blu.
reau of Indian Affairs and as one
Indian Bureau officer put it,
These officers have as much au.
thority over Indians as any speci.
al officer employed by the Blu.
reau itself" Likewise. police of.
ficcrs employed by the Blackfeet
Tribe are working under joint
supervision of the Blackfeet
Tribal Council and the Superin.
tendent of the Blackfeet Indian
Agency have equal authority in
the Town of Browning as the
reservation at large. II would
seem that authority for making
arrests is pretty well defined. II
would also seem that the ques.
ton of trying law violators in the
court of proper jurisdiction
would be no particular problem
IL the officer making the arrest
would make the complaint in the
cnurth having the jurisdiction
If not as an officer of the law,
then surely as q private citizen.
Several rum0rs are flying
about as to the reason for the
recent publicity regarding law.
lcssness in the Town of Brown.
ing and the Blackfcet Reserva.
ton. Some say II was a political
move on the part of local candi.
dates: others say II was intended
as a reflection on the operation
Of local tavcrns: others say that
ii is a publicity stunt to press for
the extension Of law and order
jurisdiction on Indian rcscrva.
tons in Montana to the State. In
keeping with the announced
withdrawal" or Termination"
policy of the Federal Govern.
mcnt: and still others say that
everybody wants to get into the
act'-as recently another Indian
reservation got its name in the
papers by publicizing. or over.
publicizing. its lawlcssncss and
Browning just couldn't stand to
feel sighted.
While no brief Is held for any
Of these explanations or for the
people offering them. It seems
that the place to start cleaning
up a mess like this. IL one exists.
is to sweep off the back step first.
II Is common knowledge that
only a handful of the more rowdy
individuals In and about the
Town of Browning arc usually at
tho root Of these outbreaks Of
lawlcssncss. Maybe the Tribal
Council has taken a step in the
right direction recently when
they issued orders to the Tribal
Court that chronic offenders
were to be ordered to serve their
sentences to hard labor-doing
some constructive job such as
getting out wood for use in the
Tribal welfare program. This
might teach this group that they
cannot continue to celebrate to
their hearts content and then
spend their Sobcring.up period
IN tho safety and comfort In the
local bastillc. pleasantly dream.
ing Of the wonderful times ahead
of them upon their release.
Conccding that the situation Is
bad. Il Is not SO bad that Il can.
not be corrected: but Il seems
that n vigorous law enforcement
campaign Is In order and that all
the cries Of mo Jurisdiction" and
excessive drunkenness" aren't
going to solve the problem until
those charged with enforcing the
law and dispensing liquor do
both with diligence and dtscrc'
ton.
CORRECTION
The story In last weeks Re-