A view of Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico. Photo from Walatowa Visitors Center / Facebook
New Mexico's chief of police is threatening to withdraw law enforcement commissions to Jemez Pueblo after learning that the tribe has been ticketing non-Indians for traffic citations. The commissions allow police department on the reservation to cite non-Indian motorists in tribal court. The traffic tickets generated about $500,000 in the past year, The Albuquerque Journal reported. At the same time, the paper said the tribe received $6,000 in state funds as part of a program that does not allow citations of non-Indians. New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas might take action as a result. “I’ve heard this from time to time (involving) different tribes but never had any proof of it,” Kassetas told the paper. Kassetas issued commissions to tribe's officers in 2013 but has since been unable to locate an agreement with the tribe, the paper said. Get the Story:
Jemez Pueblo police hit a different kind of jackpot (The Albuquerque Journal 8/16)
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