FORT PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson said Tuesday he gained a better understanding of the challenges law officers face on American Indian reservations when he rode along with cops during recent night shifts on two South Dakota reservations.

Johnson said tribal police do an excellent job but are understaffed. The officers on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Sioux reservations responded to many calls when he was with them, he said.

“No other police departments in the United State are as overwhelmed as tribal police departments are,” Johnson said at a meeting he held to discuss law enforcement problems in American Indian communities.

Tribal courts also do not have enough money or staff, the U.S. attorney said.

However, a new federal law and a variety of programs are intended to help improve law enforcement on reservations, Johnson said at the first listening session he has held on the issue. He plans to hold such meetings twice a year to gather comments and ideas from Native Americans.

“Clearly, we have a long way ahead of us working together to make tribal communities safer,” he told the three dozen people at the meeting.

Many of the comments from those attending the meeting involved complaints about specific tribal officials, and Johnson said his staff would gather information on those allegations.

Johnson's office is responsible for prosecuting major crimes on South Dakota's nine Indian reservations. Tribal courts handle less serious crimes.

Johnson said a new effort called the Community Prosecution Strategy will help improve cooperation between federal and tribal prosecutors.

In some cases, tribal prosecutors can help assistant U.S. attorneys prosecute crimes in federal court. A new federal prosecutor has been hired as part of a pilot project to help improve law enforcement and the tribal court on the Pine Ridge reservation, and three additional federal prosecutors will be added to handle criminal cases on reservations.

Pine Ridge Police Chief Everett Little White Man said he appreciates Johnson's effort.

“We really need help, but we're making progress already,” White Man said.

Johnson said his office already has held four conferences around South Dakota aimed at helping Indian teenagers avoid alcohol, drugs, gangs and suicide.

One federal prosecutor will focus on violent crimes against Indian women. Johnson said one of every three Indian women will be sexually assaulted during her lifetime.

“That is an epidemic. That is unacceptable. It needs to be a high priority for all of us in terms of addressing it,” he said.

Some of those attending the meeting said they would like the state and tribal governments to sign agreements letting their law officers help each other regardless of where a crime is committed. State law officers generally have no jurisdiction on reservation land, while tribal law officers have no authority on non-Indian land.

However, others said they do not want state law officers to have any authority on reservations because they want to protect tribal sovereignty.

Johnson said such an agreement can only be done if a tribal government requests it.