Washington, D.C.– Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated five tribes in the Seventh District for receiving Department of Justice (DOJ) grants through this year’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) program. The grants total $3,287,766 and come from a variety of DOJ offices dedicated to different law enforcement, victim awareness and public safety missions.

CTAS offered $127 million in grants this year to American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments and tribal consortia. CTAS is a collaboration between DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), which oversees three related programs: the Tribal Courts Assistance Program, the Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program and the Correctional Facilities on Tribal Land Program.

This year’s District Seven recipients are:

·         Ak Chin Indian Community

BJA – Plan, Renovate, or Construct Correctional and/or Correctional Alternative Facilities ($150,000)

·         Colorado River Indian Tribes

COPS – Tribal Resource Grant Program ($785,440)

·         Gila River Indian Community

BJA – Develop and Enhance the Operation of Tribal Justice Systems ($499,586)

·         Pascua Yaqui Tribe

COPS – Tribal Resource Grant Program ($952,740)

·         Tohono O’odham Nation

OVW – Tribal Governments Program ($900,000)

“These grants will make a big difference in public safety, public awareness of crime prevention issues, and overall quality of life,” Grijalva said of the awards. “Each is tailored to meet the needs of the recipient in a unique way, and I thank the leaders of each Tribe for pursuing these funds and putting them to good use.”

The awards were part of a cycle of 300 grants given to tribal governments and consortia in 31 states. All federally recognized Tribes were eligible for the competitive program.