Yellowhammer Times

The Department of Justice has announced the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to join the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information. TAP aims to enhance public safety by allowing these Tribes access to national crime information databases, including the FBI’s National Crime Information Center.

The program provides necessary software, hardware, training, and a web-based application with biometric/biographic kiosk workstations. These resources enable processing fingerprints, taking mugshots, and submitting data to FBI Criminal Justice Information Services systems. Applications for TAP will be accepted from July 9 to August 29, with selected Tribes notified in September. Currently, 149 federally recognized Tribes are participating in TAP.

Tribes using TAP have shared information on missing persons, entered domestic violence protection orders for nationwide enforcement, registered convicted sex offenders, conducted criminal history checks, located fugitives, recorded bookings and convictions, and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as employee or volunteer screening.

“As a TAP Pilot Tribe, the Cherokee Nation has been participating in TAP for many years,” said Suzanne Drywater, Senior Director of Justice Services for the Cherokee Nation. “From sex offender registrations, law enforcement, foster home certification, human resources, and child support our tribe has been able to exercise our sovereignty and TAP has proven to be an invaluable resource that we use daily in a multitude of ways.”

For interested Tribes considering applying for TAP participation, informational webinars will be conducted throughout July and August. More details about the program and webinar schedules can be found at www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap.

To qualify for funding through TAP, federally recognized Tribes must agree to use it for at least one specified purpose: maintaining a Tribal sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act; operating a Tribal law enforcement agency with arrest powers; having a Tribal court issuing orders of protection; or running a Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or investigates child abuse/neglect allegations.

Funding for TAP comes from various offices within the Department of Justice: the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing Monitoring Apprehending Registering and Tracking; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office on Violence Against Women. The program is co-managed by the department’s Office of Chief Information Officer and Office of Tribal Justice.