by Clara NiiSka

Nearly six months ago, on February 20, 2001, Press/ON requested arrest statistics from Dan Kneale, Chief of Police, Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department under the Minnesota Data Practices Act.  This newspaper sought to examine the ways in which Minnesota Statute §626.90 has affected law enforcement activities involving both tribal members and non-tribal members at Mille Lacs.  How often are whites being stopped by tribal police, we wondered.  Are the Mille Lacs tribal police stopping people for good reasons – or have there been a large number of arrests without sufficient grounds for later pressing charges?

The Mille tribal police chief ignored Press/ON’s request for information, despite the state law which requires a prompt response to such requests.

On April 13, 2001, Press/ON wrote to Mille Lacs police chief Kneale again, citing the Minnesota Data Practices Act, “§13.04 Subd. 3, ‘The responsible authority shall comply immediately, if possible, with any request … or within ten days of the date of the request, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, if immediate compliance is not possible.”  In the April letter, Press/ON also pointed out to the Kneale that under Minnesota Statutes §626.90, the Mille Lacs Band had explicitly agreed to be subject to Minnesota data practices laws.

“More than ten days have passed since February 20, 2001,” Press/ON wrote.  “Further delay in providing the requested information is both unreasonable and illegal.”

Kneale, the head law enforcement official of the Mille Lacs tribal police, has continued to ignore the state laws—and the state-tribal agreements—which require the tribal police to comply with Minnesota’s “sunshine laws” protecting open and honest government.

On August 14, attorney Randy V. Thompson wrote a formal letter urging Kneale to comply with state law.  “Before putting the matter in litigation, we are writing to request one more time that you respond to these requests for information,” Thompson wrote.