Senate Applauds Signing of Danielson Bill to Prevent Crime, Create State-Level Response to Missing & Murdered Indigenous Relatives
SB22-150 will improve coordination and raise awareness of MMIR cases
DENVER, CO – The Colorado State Senate is celebrating the signing of a bill sponsored by Senator Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, that will improve Colorado’s response to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives to help prevent crime and improve public safety.
The bill, SB22-150, will create an Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) to improve coordination, response, communication, and awareness of MMIR cases.
“Indigenous people are at particularly high risk for violent crime,” Danielson said. “We must stop looking the other way and address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives with a comprehensive and strong response. This new law will do just that."
More than 4 out of 5 Indigenous people in the United States experience violent crime during their lifetime, a rate disproportionately higher than any other segment of the population.
SB22-150 will improve responses to MMIR cases, provide better support for Indigenous communities, and better serve families of MMIR. It will establish an MMIR alert system and improve data tracking regarding MMIR cases while ensuring interagency coordination, allowing for a more effective and robust response.
It also will require MMIR training for first responders, and implement a public education campaign to raise awareness around MMIR issues.
Approximately half of Indigenous women in the United States have experienced sexual violence, physical violence by an intimate partner, and stalking. Among Indigenous men, 27 percent have experienced sexual violence, 43 percent experienced physical violence by an intimate partner, and 19 percent experienced stalking.
The murder rate of Indigenous women is almost three times higher than that of non-Hispanic white women and is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women and girls between the ages of 15-24.