Tribal Community Response Plans

A TCRP is a guide for how a Tribal community will respond to a report of a new missing person case. The TCRP is individualized and tailored to the needs, resources, and culture of the community. One of the best ways to prepare for missing person cases of all types is to develop a plan that is multidisciplinary, tailored to the resources of the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) community, and that elicits community assistance — and this Tribal Community Response Plan can help effectively resolve these cases.

Recognizing that there is no one plan or set of guidelines to respond to missing persons in AI/AN communities that will fit the needs of every Tribe, the Guide to Developing a Tribal Community Response Plan for Missing Person Cases provides a set of guidance documents for Tribal governments and U.S. Attorney’s Offices, working with other partners, to develop a Tribal community response plan to respond to missing person cases that are tailored to the specific needs, resources, and culture of a specific Tribal community.

While the guide is focused on developing a TCRP around emergent missing person cases, a TCRP could be adapted, or a separate TCRP developed, focusing on murder cases. Recognizing that there is no one plan or set of guidelines to respond to missing persons and/or murder cases in AI/AN communities that will fit the needs of every Tribe, Tribes can develop TCRPs that are tailored to the specific needs, resources, and culture of a specific Tribal community.

No. TCRPs are in no way mandatory from the federal government. They are recommended tools to assist Tribes in addressing missing persons in their communities.

Savanna’s Act references federal as well as Tribal, state, and local law enforcement guidelines. 

Federal Law Enforcement Guidelines

Consistent with Sections 5(a)-(c) of Savanna’s Act, the Department has directed each of its U.S. Attorney’s Offices with Tribal land to develop regionally appropriate guidelines for responding to MMIP cases. The Department has also issued guidance to and conducted training with each of its 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices on how to develop these guidelines.

Tribal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Guidelines

Section 5(c)(3) of Savanna’s Act allows Tribal, state, or local law enforcement agencies to voluntarily submit guidelines for responding to missing or murdered indigenous persons (MMIP) cases to the Department of Justice. Under Section 5(d) of Savanna’s Act, the Department will publish on its Tribal Justice and Safety website the name of each Tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency that submits missing or murdered Indigenous persons (MMIP) guidelines for recognition. Agencies seeking Department review of their guidelines may submit them via email to USAEO.MMIP.LE.Guides@usdoj.gov.

TCRPs may be helpful in developing Savanna’s Act guidelines and vice versa. While the TCRPs are focused on emergent missing person cases, and include disciplines in addition to law enforcement, the Savanna’s Act guidelines are focused on law enforcement agencies and all MMIP cases.

In addition to the guide on developing a TCRP, the Department of Justice can provide assistance in developing TCRPs. Request for this assistance can be coordinated through your local U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Tribal liaison.

The Department of Justices has offered numerous training sessions on TCRPs through the National Indian Country Training Initiative (NICTI). NICTI is committed to provided training and technical assistance to Tribes and Tribal law enforcement agencies as they develop TCRPs.

Some Tribes have chosen to make their TCRPs public documents and others have chosen to keep them as internal documents, though they may consider limited release upon request. Those that are public are posted on the TCRP page. You are free to reach out to other Tribes that have developed TCRPs to ask if they may be released to you.

A TCRP is multidisciplinary and, as such, numerous organizations should be involved in the development of a TCRP. Often the Tribal law enforcement agency may take the lead in the development of a TCRP, however, Tribal victim services agencies, Tribal communications staff, and community organizations may all play significant roles in the development. The decision on who should be involved will be made by each Tribe, and the Tribe should identify all relevant stakeholders to participate in the development process, including Tribal government, community-based organizations, outside law enforcement, or other parties.

There is no recommended or expected timeframe to develop a TCRP. The development process should be thoughtfully planned out with a schedule or timeline for completing drafts and the final plan. This process is likely to take several months to complete.