Community Safety

Police Department

Department Description:

The Gila River Indian Community Police Department provides Law Enforcement services to the Community and it’s members in the areas of criminal investigations, preventative patrol and directed patrol functions. It is committed to the protection of personal property and preservation of life and the overall improvement of the Community’s quality of life.

Contact Information:

Jesse Crabtree, Chief of Police

Phone Number: (520) 562-7114

Address: P.O. Box 2186

Sacaton, AZ 85247

Please visit the Department Of Public Safety website for more information.

Fire Department

Please visit the Gila River Fire Department website for more information

Name: Kathy Garcia, Fire Chief

email: kathy.garcia@gric.nsn.us

Office of Emergency Management

Please visit the Gila River Office of Emergency Management website for more information.

Name: Bruce Harvey, Director

email: Bruce.Harvey@gric.nsn.us

Department of Rehabilitation & Supervision

Department Description:

Currently, DRS is the largest Correctional/Detention facility within Indian Country, and DRS have the highest inmate census, within Indian Country. Only Native Americans can be incarcerated in DRS. The facility is on 20 acres of land and the buildings cover 96,116 square feet. The facility is a tribally run facility that operates on both tribal and federal funds. The mission of the facility is to protect the Gila River Indian Community while maintaining a safe and secure environment for the inmates, staff, and providers/volunteers.

The 277 bed, co-ed facility is operated by tribal and federal funding in conjunction with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and began operating in 1999. According to the 2003 report from the U.S. Department of Justice statistics, the Gila River Indian Community had the most violent crimes per capita in all of Indian Country.

The average facility population ranges from 200-225 inmates on a regular basis with an average census population of approximately 45 females and 180 males. The facility houses both sentenced and pretrial status offenders, at various levels of security and classification. Approximately 38-40 % of the inmate population is pretrial status, waiting for their case to be adjudicated. The average pretrial status offender may be incarcerated for three to six months prior to their adjudication. Once the inmate is sentenced they are classified by the Classification Officer, who reviews various factors in determining the inmate's classification. Due to the different levels of security and keep separate issues, inmates in different housing assignments can not be programmed together.

DRS focuses on the corrections aspect of incarceration, as well as the rehabilitation aspect of incarceration. Incarceration affects everyone, the community, the families, the children of inmates, and the inmates themselves by their incarceration. While incarcerated, inmates will frequently come to the realization that their choices in life on the outside are not really working for them which resulted in their incarceration.

The goal of the Programs Department is to provide a proverbial "toolbox" to the inmates while they are here so that they are able to learn or understand how to fix their "life issues" in a healthy way once they are released. Our hope is this "toolbox" will reduce the recidivism (repeated incarceration) rates within the community. Programs are also provided when Correctional Officers correct any inappropriate behavior or communication when working with the inmates. Program providers and volunteers facilitate programs to challenge the inmates to think and act differently so that they can hopefully return to the community and live a more productive life. The Programs Department also attempts to reconnect inmates to their families and the Community, in hopes to repair those severed relationships that occurred prior to their offense, or due to their offense.

Programs provided at the Department of Rehabilitation and Supervision is varied in the type of activities for the inmates. DRS has on site staff that provide in-house programs for the inmates. Those programs consist of GED education, drug and alcohol education classes, vocational education programs, anger management, healthy relationships, life skills, and various other programs. Self-directed, computer GED resources are available for inmates to obtain their GED certificate. DRS will pay for the GED testing fees and Central Arizona College representative comes onsite for their testing now which reduces risk to transporting inmates off site. Programs officers also instruct basic computer classes, and life skills. Some tribal agencies also have staff that work at the facility providing groups and classes to the inmates weekly. Those programs are parenting classes provided by Tribal Social Services, Child Development classes, and sexual health education, screening, and testing. DRS also has a large group of volunteers that come into the facility to provide Alcoholics Anonymous groups, faith based groups, and cultural/spiritual programs and education. Inmates with mental health issues are provided counseling and medication management through the hospital's Behavioral Health Clinic on site therapist and psychiatrist work closely with the inmate population.

Contact Information:

Name: Ron Lopez , Chief Adminstrator
Phone Number: 520-562-7061

Address: P.O. Box 399
Sacaton, AZ 85247
Fax Number: 520-562-7052
E-Mail: Ron.Lopez@gric.nsn.us

Tribal Social Services

Tribal Social Services is a multifaceted agency responsible for providing human services for children, youth, adults, elders and families Our vision is to develop and sustain a safe, strong, and health foundation for the preservation and support of families. Our mission is: “Tribal Social Services is committed to the Akimel O’otham and Pee Posh families to protect, guide, and educate by encouraging self-reliance, preserving culture, and enhancing the quality of life.” Service delivery is provided through the following programs:

Child Protective Services (CPS)

CPS primary goal is the investigation and protection of children. CPS operates 24 hours a day/seven days a week. Referrals come through Community members, family, schools, etc. via telephone, police reports, or walk-ins. Once a referral comes in it is prioritized based on the emergency and lethality of the situation for the child(ren). Some referrals are taken as “Information only” if the situation doesn’t warrant an active investigation. Children are not always removed from their homes. Removal of children is done only when it is believed that is the only way to protect the child(ren). When a child is removed, first option placement is to place the child with a relative; however, when that isn’t possible, the child is placed into a shelter. Upon investigation of the referral, the case will be either substantiated or not. If it is determined abuse and/or neglect did occur, the case will be transferred to case management.  

Case Management Services

Cases are transferred to case management from CPS. Cases typically go into Reunification and the assigned case worker monitors the progress the parents are completing to their court ordered services as well as checking on the child(ren) to ensure their continued safety. If the parents don’t successfully complete their court ordered services within one year’s time, the case will be moved into Permanency Planning. Once a case is moved into Permanency, the child is removed from the parents and the primary case focus is to find a permanent home for the child(ren). The parents still have an option to petition the court for their children to be returned to them, but they will need to prove to the Court why that should happen. Also within Case Management is our ICWA unit. We currently have two ICWA workers who manage all cases where there are dependent Community children in State custody. This requires working closely with our contracted ICWA attorney and state officials from various states within the country.  

Family Services

This program provides both intervention and prevention services to the Community. The following services are provided within Family Services: Foster Care Services, Parenting Programs which take place in and out of Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS), and Children Services Program provides two Family Resource Specialists. Our Foster care worker recruits and licenses foster homes for those children who are removed from their homes. Our Parenting Programs provides instruction on child development, appropriate disciplining and cultural values to those Community members who have been court ordered as well as voluntary referrals. We also provide parenting education to residents at the DRS. Our Family Resource program provides assistance to parents in their homes in budgeting, housekeeping, cooking, as well as assistance in getting their children enrolled or assistance with housing. We also provide some transportation to our clients to medical appointments and to Tribal Court when necessary.  

Family Assistance

This area of Tribal Social Services provides services mainly to adults and elders of the Community. Within Family Assistance we provide General Assistance and Burial Assistance, and Adult Protective Services (APS). APS workers provide case management services to Adults In Need of Care, Homemaker services and investigate reports of abuse and neglect of adults. General Assistance provides cash assistance to Community members and other eligible American Indians who don’t have any income and aren’t eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). General Assistance workers also provide burial assistance services. Adult Protective Services provides investigation and protection of adults in the Community from abuse, neglect and exploitation. When necessary the APS worker will also provide case management services to adults who are not mentally able to care for themselves and have no family to help them. Homemaker services are provided to help keep our clients out of a nursing home environment. Homemakers go into the home and provide the client with light housekeeping and cooking. Family Assistance Specialist manages adult and children Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts for those Community members who are deemed not capable of managing their own accounts.

Crime Victim Assistance

Crime Victim Services (CVS) provide services to victims of violent crime. Assistance is given to victims in a variety of areas, such as: finding emergency shelter, court preparation, accessing local resources needed for safety, such as transportation to a shelter or court and assisting victims with obtaining Temporary Restraining Orders. CVS is a partner and team member to the Gila River Fire Department (GRFD) Crisis Response Team.

Domestic Violence Services

Domestic Violence Services (DVS) provide services to victims of domestic violence to include immediate 24/7 safety, lodging, and basic needs. The DVS shelter also provide crisis intervention, needs assessment, information and referrals, court preparation and advocacy, and getting Temporary Restraining Orders. Residence stay is temporary and voluntary. A 24/7 Domestic violence crisis line is available at 1-855-203-5849 and staffed with DVS specialists.

Residential Program for Youth

The Residential Program for Youth (RPY) provides emergency, short-term and long-term shelter/housing for children ages birth to seventeen. The facility has the capacity of 24 children and is a 24/7 placement option for CPS and Case management when children are removed from their homes. The goals of RPY is to provide an immediate safe haven and a nurturing environment to children who have been abandoned or removed from their home due to suspected neglect, abuse, or exploitation and to provide each child with the individual social and life skills that will enable them to become self-reliant. A new RPY facility is under construction and scheduled to open in November 2013 with a maximum capacity of 80 children.

Contact Information:

Phone Number: 520-562-3396
Address: PO Box 427
Sacaton, AZ 85247
Fax Number: 520-562-3633

Office of the Prosecutor

Name: Lynn Arouh, Chief Prosecutor

P.O. Box 97

Sacaton, AZ 85147

Phone: (520) 562-3163

Fax: (520) 562-8104

Departments