WASHINGTON, DC – The Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, DC announced Wednesday that Richard “Glen” Melville, a member of Makah Tribe, will lead the Office of Justice Services as a deputy bureau director starting this month.

Melville joined the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1997 and served a 29-year career with the bureau and Tribal law enforcement programs before retiring in 2021. He has since returned from retirement to lead the office’s public safety programs.

BIA Director Darryl LaCounte said in a news release that the Office of Justice Services was created to ensure Tribal members throughout Indian Country are safe, healthy, and have access to comprehensive law enforcement, prevention, intervention, and support services.

Melville began his career as a police officer with the Makah Tribe in Washington in 1995. He advanced through numerous leadership positions with the National Park Service and Homeland Security’s Coast Guard Investigative Services before continuing his career with the BIA in 2012.