03.05.15

Hoeven Announces Permanent FBI Office in Williston Badlands Complex, Facility to be Fully Operational Later This Year

Senator Worked with Appropriations Committee, OMB to Approve the Office

WILLISTON, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today announced the establishment of a new FBI Resident Agency office in Williston. The office will be located at 42nd Street West, in the Badlands Town Center Complex, where the new post office is, which Hoeven also helped to secure. The bureau anticipates the office will become fully staffed and operational later this year.

The developer, Triland Holdings LLC of Williston, said they plan to break ground on the new building in May and complete the 6,000 square foot office by September. Agents have been identified for transfer to Williston and will be on-site soon. The bureau anticipates the office will become fully staffed and operational later this year.

“After months of effort, today we’re announcing very good news for Williston and western North Dakota, as well eastern Montana,” Hoeven said. “Our new FBI office in Williston now has a site at the heart of the Bakken, which is vital not only for addressing crime, but also for maintaining our quality of life.”

To assist and expedite the siting of a permanent office, Hoeven’s regional director and Williston officials hosted FBI staff on a tour of the city last year and connected them with local developers to help identify potential locations. The senator’s office worked as a liaison between agency officials and Williston developers to secure a suitable site.

The FBI office in Williston will be the fifth in North Dakota. The other four are currently located in Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, and Bismarck. The office will serve as a sub office of the FBI’s Minneapolis Division, and will serve the citizens of western North Dakota.

Hoeven has been pushing for the new office to help local law enforcement better address increased crime rates as a result of the influx of new residents seeking jobs in the oil industry. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hoeven was instrumental last year in securing approval for the field office, which required signoff by both the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Last November, the committee formally notified the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) that the plan was approved. Hoeven had also made the case with OMB Director Shaun Donovan, who also signed off on the new office last fall.

“After months of effort, today we’re announcing very good news for Williston and western North Dakota, as well eastern Montana,” Hoeven said. “Our new FBI office in Williston now has a site at the heart of the Bakken, which is vital not only for addressing crime, but also for maintaining our quality of life.”

The effort to secure a permanent office in Williston began in 2013, when Hoeven and Senator Heidi Heitkamp called on FBI Director James Comey to establish a permanent presence in the city. Hoeven followed up with calls, roundtables and letters, most recently last September. Hoeven hosted a meeting in Williston with North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and area law enforcement officials to address the challenges they face and the need for federal agents to work in collaboration with local officials.

Hoeven and Stenehjem also wrote a joint letter to Comey and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) head Michele Leonhart pressing them to increase the number of agents and permanently staff offices in western North Dakota. Their letter can be found here.