WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today issued the following statement on the newly announced Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) plan to establish a new FBI Resident Agency office in Williston, which is expected to be fully operational later this year.

As part of Heitkamp’s long push to combat crime and drug crime in western North Dakota, she has been pushing for a permanent space for FBI agents to fight crime on the ground in Williston since December 2013. The new office, which will be located within the Badlands Town Center Complex in Williston, will join four existing FBI offices across the state in Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot and Bismarck. Over the past year, Heitkamp has pressed Attorney General Eric Holder on multiple occasions on the need for a permanent FBI facility in Williston. 

“Towns across the Bakken region have been hit hard by a spike in crime in the wake of our state’s massive population boom,” said Heitkamp. “We need more robust federal support to fight lawlessness right in the eye of the storm – in Williston – and that’s why I’ve been calling for this FBI office for more than a year. If we’re serious about building up the necessary law enforcement infrastructure for a firm line of defense against growing crimes like drug and human trafficking, we must work hand-in-hand with our federal partners. Today’s announcement by the FBI that we can expect a permanent office in Williston within the year is a needed step in strengthening our ability to fight back against the unprecedented rise in crime this area. Working together, we can continue to provide our families and communities with the secure and safe environment they need to raise and grow their families.”

Heitkamp has been working since 2013 to address the sharp increase in crime in the west. In December 2013, Heitkamp and Senator John Hoeven called on the FBI to build a permanent location for FBI agents in Williston. In their letter to FBI Director James B. Comey and then-National Drug Control Policy Director R. Gil Kerlikowske, the Senators stressed the dramatic spike in criminal activity in western North Dakota, and urged action on behalf of the FBI.

In the summer of 2013, Heitkamp brought Kerlikowske to western North Dakota, where he saw for himself the rampant drug challenges faced by the region. At the time, he pledged to help address these issues. Just four months later, he followed up by designating Williams County as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, making it eligible for significant federal resources to help officials combat trafficking in the area. Kerlikowske also assigned a special agent to Bismarck from the Drug Enforcement Agency to work with regional officials on drug control efforts.

In August 2014, Heitkamp brought White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) Acting Director Michael Botticelli to North Dakota where he committed to continuing to address the growing drug problems in the state.

Heitkamp launched her Strong & Safe Communities Initiative this fall to tackle emerging challenges facing North Dakota in the wake of the state’s energy boom. With state’s unprecedented population and economic growth, particularly in the Bakken, it also faces new safety challenges. Specifically, Heitkamp is convening a task force comprised of experts and leaders throughout the state who have a strong understanding of some of these new challenges in the state, including increases in drug-related crime, human trafficking, infrastructure stress, the increased transportation of crude oil by rail, as well as other issues. This group will work with Heitkamp over a five-year period to develop recommendations to help prepare and equip North Dakota communities for the future.

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