Navajo Nation officials emphasize public safety funding constraints during meeting with Crane

NAVAJO NATION — On February 16, during a visit to the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President, U.S. Representative Eli Crane met with officials from the Navajo Division of Public Safety.

Among Navajo Police Department Deputy Chief Ronald Silversmith and Michael Anderson, the executive director of the Division of Public Safety were outspoken about the difficulties the Navajo Division of Public Safety is facing.

One of the biggest challenges the department faces is a lack of federal funding to meet its various needs, including hiring more officers and acquiring the necessary equipment to respond to emergencies. The department is also facing longstanding issues with its facilities, including a lack of manpower, patrol and detention facilities, and adequate training facilities to meet Peace Officer Standards and Training measures. The former NPD headquarters building was condemned due to its lack of structural integrity and the presence of asbestos and mold, and the department is currently leasing vacant classrooms for its office space.

One solution proposed by Silversmith is for the department to use the soon-to-be-vacated Lukachukai Community School to set up a new police academy. However, as a BIA 638 contract-operated program, the department lacks the funding for operation and maintenance costs. If the department were able to acquire proper facilities, it would provide opportunities to seek and enhance accreditation from regional state bodies to operate its academy. The Navajo NPD is at a development point where it wants to promote its own Navajo Peace Officer Standards and Training curriculum.

Anderson emphasized that these issues pertain not only to law enforcement but to the Navajo Nation Departments of Correction, Criminal Investigation, Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Management, as well as Fire and Rescue. Additionally, the Window Rock detention facility was forced to close by Navajo Nation OSHA order, requiring those arrested and detained to be transported to other detention facilities in Crownpoint, New Mexico, or Chinle at greater cost and staff time.

During a recent snow-related weather emergency declaration in January, leaders from the Navajo Nation and Apache County responded with assistance to outlying remote Navajo families, especially high-risk individuals, the elderly and the infirmed. The Navajo Nation Department of Transportation and Apache County Emergency Management Team provided much-needed equipment, such as snowmobiles, snow cats, all-terrain vehicles, and tire snow chains.