By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
The boost in oil production in North Dakota has brought a lot of wealth – and crime – to the state.
The FBI is responding to an uptick in crime by opening an office in the state’s oil country, The Hill reports.
The bureau plans to fully staff the Willinston office later this year.
The office will be a “resident agency” of the FBI’s Minneapolis division.
“The office in Williston is a welcomed addition to our presence in North Dakota,” Richard Thornton, special agent in charge of the Minneapolis division that oversees the Williston office, said in a statement.
“The opening of this office is in response to the unprecedented growth in population and economic activity associated with the oil exploration and production in the Bakken region and the corresponding increase in criminal activity,” he said. “The FBI will be in a better position to effectively address these issues in this region of North Dakota through this new office.”
