Maricopa County

The community traces its roots to the Hohokam,
prehistoric Indians who lived and farmed along the
Gila River Basin centuries ago. Composed of two
members of tribes, the Pima and Maricopas, GRIC is
located in south-central Arizona. The 372,000 acre
reservation, which lies south of Phoenix, Tempe and
Chandler, was established by an act of Congress in 1859.
Tribal administrative offices and departments are
located in Sacaton. The Gila River Indian Community has
steadily increased its industrial, retail and recreational
economic base. The Community has opened three industrial
parks housing 36 operations. One park, Lone Butte Industrial
Park, is nationally acclaimed as one of the most successful
Indian industrial parks in the U.S.

In addition to emphasizing industry, business and recreational
opportunities, the Community continues to depend upon
agriculture to grow its economy. Twelve thousand acres of
Community farms on the GRIC support a variety of crops such as
cotton, wheat, millet, alfalfa, barley, melons, pistachios,
olives, citrus, and vegetables on 12,000 acres. Independent
farming operations cultivate an additional 22,000 acres of
similar crops, bringing the total agricultural product value
to an excess of $25 million. The Gila River Reservation enjoys
a relatively young population with a median age of 22.7 years.

The Gila River Police Department is a service-oriented
organization, established in August 1998. This was as a result
of an agreement between the Community and the Bureau of Indian
Affairs to manage its own tribal law enforcement agency. The
department, which began with less than 15 police officers, has
grown into a modern, progressive organization of 89 employees
(69 sworn officers and 20 civilian personnel).