Public safety chief reports 225 gangs on rez

The issue of gangs in Indian Country was brought before the U.S. Senate Committee of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C., on July 30.

Samson Cowboy, director of the Division of Public Safety, was one of four individuals testifying to the committee.

Other tribal represented included John Mousseau, chairman of the Tribal Judicial Council for the Oglala Sioux Tribe from Pine Ridge, S.D.; Brian Nissen, tcouncil member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Nespelem, Wash.; and Carmen Smith, chief of police for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Ore.

Cowboy highlighted three items in his testimony: the history and current background of the Navajo public safety; statistics regarding efforts to curb gang activity; and recommendations on how the Navajo Nation can counter gang activity.

He noted that public safety is currently understaffed with a low ratio of .06 police officers per 1,000 people. The national average is 2.5 per 1,000.

For the year 2008, there 14 homicides, 230 sexual offenses, 363 assaults, 958 burglaries, 1,342 cases of larceny and 266 cases of arson (Cowboy's testimony is available in on the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Web site).

The background information on gangs on Navajoland begin the 1990s when gang activity began to rise. The activity was not heavily into drugs, but focused on acquiring weapons, he said, which led to a rise in violence.

This led to the formation of the Drug and Gang Unit, then the Navajo Police Drug and Gang Enforcement Unit as crime rose along with the use of methamphetamine.

Cowboy reported there are about 225 documented gangs on the Navajo Reservation, an increase of 75 percent from the previous 75 gangs documented in 1997.

The total number of gang members on the reservation is between 1,500 and 2,000.

He also noted that in 2009 there have been 35 gang-related crimes on the Navajo Nation.

Cowboy then testified about operations Firewater and Broken Ice, which led to several arrests for bootlegging and methamphetamine sales and abuse.

Cowboy recommended funding for six officers in the drug and gang unit, accurate tracking systems and a database, equipment including surveillance cameras, night vision and undercover vehicles, and continued advocacy for criminal justice facilities and to prosecute and incarcerate criminal gang members.

The hearing was called in response to a recently released U.S. Department of Justice report describing crime and violence by gangs as epidemic in Native communities.

The report stated, "Tribal communities and federal law enforcement must have the flexibility to react to a specific criminal offense and also to work collaboratively to address proactively up and coming criminal trends. Federal money and dedicated personnel can then leverage and maximize existing tribal efforts."

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