FourStar Concerned About Losing Community Relations Service’s Help
Wolf Point Councilman Lance FourStar is concerned about a federal lawsuit case involving 11 civil rights and community organizations against U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The case, filed in a Boston federal court, aims to prevent the dissolution of and to restore the Community Relations Service by the U.S. Department of Justice.
FourStar takes interest in the case because of positive experiences he’s had with the CRS throughout different events in northeastern Montana. He says he has signed on to provide an amicus brief in the case.
“CRS is known as America’s peace makers,” FourStar said. “Our goal is to reestablish CRS.”
The organization was established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The service’s statutory mandate is to provide conflict resolution and mediation services in civil rights conflicts and crises brought on by violent hate crimes.
As of Oct. 31, the Department of Justice decimated CRS by leaving just a single employee to fulfill all of the service’s mandates.
FourStar said one judge has already stated that the Department of Justice doesn’t have the power to eliminate the service.
FourStar said one local activity that CRS was involved in was the March Against Violence held in downtown Wolf Point earlier this year.
“It helped us keep the peace,” FourStar said.
He noted the organization also offered self-marshaling services and mediation if needed.
The service also helped facilitate a meeting after the March Against Violence that included the Wolf Point mayor and some council members.
In the past, the service played a peace-making role when some people had grievances regarding the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. A meeting was held with the Fort Peck Tribes, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Valley County Sheriff’s Office that identified 41 sacred sites on the route.
In addition, CRS played a role in the establishment of automated license plate readers to the Fort Peck Reservation to assist in the desire to curb criminal activity throughout the area.
“They have done quite a bit in the background,” FourStar said.
