BLYN – The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is the latest tribe in Clallam County to be included in the federal government’s Tribal Access Program (or TAP), which means tribal police officers will now have access to national crime databases to assist in their own investigations.

Clallam County’s Lower Elwha, Makah and Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribes are already included in the program, part of the Justice Department’s effort to address issues surrounding missing and murdered Native Americans. Participating tribes can exchange data such as fingerprints with the FBI or consult the National Crime Information Center on a missing persons case.

In October, the Justice Department announced an unprecedented $273 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs on tribal lands.

TAP is currently deployed to more than 75 tribes across the country with over 300 participating tribal justice agencies, including nine in the Western District of Washington.