WASHINGTON - Senators are pushing legislation that would give tribes more resources and assistance from the federal government to enforce and prosecute crimes.

Federal statistics have shown that American Indians are the victims of violent crime at 2.5 times the national rate, and rates of homicide, domestic violence and rape are much higher than national averages. Federal Bureau of Investigation reports showed that rates of all of those crimes doubled between 2005 and 2006, partly fueled by a raging methamphetamine epidemic on reservations and high rates of alcohol use.

The draft legislation, authored by Senate Indian Affairs Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., would force federal agencies to pay more attention to reservation crimes and attempt to facilitate communication between tribal, state and federal law enforcement.

"We have portions of our country that are almost lawless and the result is that people are being killed," Dorgan said. "This is a crime wave that occurs in most cases outside of public view."

The bill also aims to strengthen tribes' ability to sentence criminals and authorizes money for programs designed to keep Indian youths out of trouble.

Ron His Horse is Thunder, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North Dakota and South Dakota, testified in support of the bill. A recent boost in law enforcement on that reservation has led to stronger law enforcement there.

Before 24 officers were added earlier this month, the tribe only had enough manpower for two officers a day to patrol the 2.3 million acre reservation and 2,500 miles of roads. He said the additional officers have resulted in a surge of arrests and referrals to child protective services.

"My concern and frustration is knowing this surge is limited in duration," he said.

His Horse is Thunder suggested several improvements to the bill, including raising officer salaries, creating police recruitment incentives and adding new resources for police equipment.

He also warned that Congress would have to fund the programs, or the bill would be setting them up to fail. The Indian Affairs panel can authorize the money, but only a separate appropriations panel that oversees the Interior Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs can actually send the dollars out.

Joe A. Garcia, president of the National Congress of American Indians, also testified in support of the bill and suggested ways to strengthen it. He said the current system doesn't make sense.

"Tribal law enforcement will receive vehicles but no maintenance, a detention facility but no staff, radios but no central dispatch," he said. "Overall, it is time to move past the status quo in the federal agencies to address public safety in Indian Country."