With the support of the Grand Portage community, the Grand Portage Reservation may be getting full-time law enforcement services, creating what was called at the Tuesday, May 17, 2011 county board meeting a “win-win” situation for everyone in the county.
Tribal Chair Norman Deschampe and Sheriff Mark Falk reported to commissioners that a grant that opened up this month could fund the first several years of what would be at least a five-year commitment. The grant would come from a U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program.
“It’s a great opportunity to improve public safety on the Grand Portage Reservation,” said Sheriff Falk. The added position would benefit the rest of the county as well, however. The arrangement would allow the Sheriff ’s Department to increase its coverage on the West End and up the Gunflint Trail. Two officers are already assigned to patrol Grand Marais through a contract with the city.
Increasing law enforcement visibility is a good thing, Falk said. “Visibility is 75 percent of law enforcement.”
The cost of one full-time officer (either a dedicated officer or rotating Sheriff ’s Office staff) would initially be $65,000-70,000 a year, Falk said, plus the cost of things like a squad car, for a total of $130,000-140,000 a year. “I get the impression that Grand Portage really wants this to happen,” Falk said.
“There’s overwhelming support for it,” Tribal Chair Deschampe said. “We’re at the end of the line up there, so the response time is an issue.”
The grant would require matching funds, which the tribe is willing to contribute. Deschampe said the Tribal Council is even willing to fund the position without the grant, however.
“This is a huge opportunity and definitely something we should support,” County Attorney Tim Scannell said.
Deschampe said, “It’s a win-win for everybody.”
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