The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded more than $2.1 million to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation program, which supports victim services, crime prevention and intervention.

“When it comes to violent crime, the gap between Indian Country and the rest of America is staggering,” said U.S. Attorney for Colorado Jason R. Dunn, “which is why the Justice Department is dedicated to not only vigorously prosecuting violent crimes committed on tribal lands, but also funding programs that support victims and promote public safety.”

In total, the federal government will send $103 million to tribes under the program. The $2.1 million includes grants for community policing and alcohol and substance abuse, as well as for combating violence against women. The Southern Ute tribe will also receive $505,795 from the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program, for a total award of approximately $2.6 million.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics notes that American Indians and Alaska Natives are victims of violent crimes at rates higher than the general population, but that data from within reservations are limited.

Reuters reported in 2017 that the Justice Department’s inspector general found significant undercollection and underreporting of crime statistics from tribal communities. The findings included a lack of “a coordinated approach to overseeing the assistance it provides in Indian country,” and that “the department has not prioritized assistance to Indian country at the level consistent with its public statements or annual reports to Congress.”