Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
he Operation Not Forgotten initiative, along with the FBI’s broader Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) strategy, emphasizes the FBI’s continued dedication to address the violence impacting Indigenous communities. When the initiative was announced, agents like Kay from across the Bureau volunteered for temporary assignments in Indian Country.
On the Yakama Reservation, Kay worked a range of investigations, including those related to homicide, missing persons, gangs, and crimes against children.
“You might not work these kinds of violations anywhere else in the FBI,” he said. “For agents working in Indian Country, it’s the closest thing to being a local police detective.”
In another investigation, Kay tried to locate a child sexual assault victim to see if they would be pressing charges. He and a Yakama Police detective met to share updates on the case and went together to the interview. Unfortunately, the victim wasn’t home, so Kay left his phone number and hoped for a call back. He also drove around the reservation hoping to find the victim before heading back to the FBI office in Yakama.
The assignment to Indian Country has been eye-opening, he said. It’s given him an opportunity to work closely with Native American partners in a part of the country where the mission is so critical.
There are multiple tribal detectives Kay now works with regularly, having quickly established a rapport. “You investigate crime scenes, generate leads, conduct interviews, and make arrests,” Kay said. “All of this is done in partnership with the tribal and local law enforcement.”