Navajo Nation Police
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Navajo Nation Police | |
---|---|
USA | |
Map of Navajo Nation Police's jurisdiction | |
Size | 27,000 square miles (70,000 km2) |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Window Rock, Arizona |
Police Officers | 210 |
Civilians | 279 |
The Navajo Nation Police (formerly known as the Navajo Tribal Police) is the law enforcement agency on the
History
The Navajo Treaty of 1868, which released Navajos from captivity at Fort Sumner, established law enforcement as the responsibility of the federal government. The first Navajo police force was created in 1872 and dissolved three years later. Although there were police on the reservation, they were funded and supported by the United States government. The Navajo Nation operated under the direction of the BIA from the late 19th century until 1959, when it established its own tribal police force. While the force was and remains largely funded by the federal government, the force has operated on its own since 1959. The Navajo Nation police is responsible for law enforcement and for the care and custody of prisoners.
Equipment and vehicles
All officers are issued a service
In 2018 chief of police Phillip Francisco restarted the Navajo Nation police academy, using the former Chinle jail as a training headquarters. Twelve new recruits graduated in June 2018, the first in-house graduates in ten years.[2]
Ranks
Rank | Chief of Police | Deputy Chief | Captain | Lieutenant | Sergeant | Police officer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Insignia | No insignia |
Fallen officers
As of July 2023[update], since the establishment of the Navajo Nation police department, at least fourteen officers have died in the line of duty.[3]
Fictional portrayals
Officers of the Navajo Nation police are the subjects of a series of mystery novels by Tony Hillerman. The novels deal primarily with fictional officers named Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee, and Bernadette Manuelito. After Tony Hillerman's death in 2008, daughter Anne Hillerman has continued the mystery series.
The Hillerman novels and characters were used in a 2002 PBS television series Skinwalkers: The Navajo Mysteries and later in the AMC series Dark Winds in 2022.
Navajo police are also the subjects of the Ella Clah police procedural
References
- ^ Wakeling, Stewart; Jorgensen, Miriam; Michaelson, Susan; and Begay, Manley. Policing on American Indian Reservations. Washington D.C.: United States Department of Justice; 2001. p. vi. [1]
- ^ Cindy Yurth (December 27, 2018). "2018: Year of schism". Navajo Times. p. A1.
- ^ "Navajo Division of Public Safety". The Officer Down Memorial Page. Retrieved July 25, 2023.