Former Pine Ridge chief of police appointed as advisor under Gov. Kristi Noem

Algin Young served as law enforcement officer in Indian Country for two decades

Algin Young (Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety)

Gov.Kristi Noem is bringing a tribal lawman with more than two decades of experience onto the state payroll and doubling down on allegations that some leaders within American Indian tribes aren’t being palms up about criminal activity happening on South Dakota’s reservations.

The Governor’s Office Tuesday announced that a newly-created tribal law enforcement position will be filled by former Oglala Sioux Police Chief Algin Young, who will work as an intermediary between state and tribal law enforcement agencies.

The former Oglala Sioux police chief testified last year before Congress about drugs and crime on the reservation, which the Governor’s Office suggests led to Young finding himself “without a job.”

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