Tribal police recruits in South Dakota will soon have a closer option for basic law enforcement training, though it will be located in North Dakota rather than in‑state according to South Dakota Searchlight.
Under an executive order issued by U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Camp Grafton near Devils Lake, North Dakota, will begin offering basic training for Bureau of Indian Affairs recruits and tribal police departments, in addition to its existing advanced training programs. The move is part of a broader initiative creating an Indian Country Violent Crime Task Force focused on public safety, opioid trafficking, and missing and murdered Indigenous people cases.
The new training site will reduce reliance on the longstanding BIA academy in Artesia, New Mexico, which tribal leaders and officials have said hampers recruitment because of distance. Camp Grafton had already been expanded to provide advanced BIA training in 2020.
South Dakota leaders had pushed for a Great Plains BIA academy to be located in Pierre, citing the city’s existing law enforcement training facilities. While disappointed the site was chosen out of state, officials acknowledged the North Dakota location is an improvement.
A timeline for when basic training will begin at Camp Grafton remains unclear, though the Interior Department has been directed to develop courses during the 2026 federal fiscal year.
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