KANSAS CITY, KAN. – U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom announced Wednesday grants totaling more than $1.3 million to two Native American tribes in northeastern Kansas to enhance law enforcement practices and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts.

The grants will target public safety and community policing; methamphetamine enforcement; justice systems and alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; violence against women; elder abuse; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs.

The grants include $810,503 to the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas and $557,117 to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.

The awards were made under the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a tribal-specific grant program offered by the Justice Department. The department announced grants of $118.4 million to nearly 150 American Indian and Alaskan Native nations across the country.

“Ensuring the safety of Native Americans living on the four reservations in Kansas is a top priority,” Grissom said. “My office is working closely with tribal authorities as well as state and local law enforcement agencies to broaden our partnership and coordinate our efforts.”

The department developed CTAS and administered the first round of consolidated grants in September 2010 in response to shared views of tribal leaders that the department’s grant-making process was too cumbersome and needed increased flexibility. Today, tribes seeking funding for more than one purpose area can submit a single grant application, instead of multiple applications.

Grants totaling $2,981,753 were awarded to the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, Santee Sioux Nation, Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and Ponca Tribe of Nebraska to enhance law enforcement practices and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts in eight purpose areas:  public safety and community policing; methamphetamine enforcement; justice systems and alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; violence against women; elder abuse; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs.

The complete list of the Fiscal Year 2011 CTAS grantees, a CTAS Fact Sheet and other information about the consolidated solicitation is also available here.