Editorial: Navajo police officers could bridge divide

Monday, February 26, 2007  

"Navajo officers are few and far between in the Four Corners area. But the reasons why, we are told, rest with a distrust of the law, cultural taboos and a history that stretches back for centuries.

Additional Navajo officers in Farmington, Aztec and Bloomfield could only help soothe the ever-present racial divide. The more an officer or deputy can relate to those they come in contact with, whether that be Anglo, Hispanic or Navajo, it benefits the entire community.

Being that the county is roughly 44 percent Navajo, those officers can often give their Anglo counterparts a better understanding of local, differing cultures and traditions.

Of the 125 officers with Farmington police, only eight are Navajo, according to the city. In Bloomfield, two of 17 officers are American Indian, while Aztec has none."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Navajo police officers: Too few and far between (The Farmington Daily Times 2/26)

Relevant Links:
Navajo Nation - http://www.navajo.org
Navajo Nation Council - http://www.navajonationcouncil.org

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