WASHINGTON — Richard “Glen” Melville, an enrolled member of Makah Tribe, will lead the Office of Justice Services as a deputy bureau director starting this month, the Bureau of Indian Affairs announced.
Melville joined the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in 1997 and served a 29-year career with the bureau and tribal law enforcement programs before retiring in 2021 as the deputy associate director for the Office of Justice Services.
He has since returned from retirement to lead OJS’s public safety programs, BIA said on its Facebook page.
“I am honored to return to the BIA having spent my career dedicated to Indian Country’s public safety mission,” Melville said in the BIA announcement.
“I look forward to applying that experience to build upon the work of my predecessors to advance the Office of Justice Services and the bureau overall in the next stage of my career.”
Melville began his career as a police officer with the Makah Tribe in 1995, the BIA said.
He advanced through numerous leadership law enforcement positions with the National Park Service and Homeland Security’s Coast Guard Investigative Services before continuing his career with the BIA in 2012 as the assistant agent in charge of District I in Aberdeen, S.D., and then special agent in charge of District VII in Portland, Ore., before becoming the deputy associate director.
Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith worked with Melville in the National Park Service Investigative Services branch between 2002 and 2008, Smith as regional special agent in charge at Yellowstone and Melville as special agent at Olympic National Park, Smith said.
“I was not his boss, but we worked together on things … .Glen is what we call the ‘real deal’ and he is highly respected here,” Smith said.
Bryan Newland, assistant secretary for Indian Affairs, said Melville will serve as a representative on the White House Council on Native American Affairs Committee on Public Safety and Justice Committee.
“Glen is an experienced and dependable leader stepping into a role that is critical to law enforcement services and support to operations across the department,” Newland said.
BIA Director Darryl LaCounte said he was pleased to welcome Melville back to the bureau.
“He is a seasoned leader well versed in the important services OJS provides to Indian Country,” LaCoute said.
“Leading the Office of Justice Services is not just about managing a complex organization,” LaCoute added.
“At its core, it is about ensuring tribal members throughout Indian Country are safe, healthy and have access to comprehensive law enforcement, prevention, intervention and support services,” he said.
Melville has also served as the acting regional director for Great Plains Region in 2018 and the acting regional director for the Eastern Region in 2020.
Melville is a graduate of the Department of the Interior’s Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Criminal Investigations Training Program, the Naval Criminal Investigations Service Training Program, the FBI Command College and the Indian Police Academy.
When not working, Melville enjoys spending time outdoors hunting and fishing with his family and volunteering as a soccer coach at the local high school.
