Shiprock officials advocate for police department in meeting with New Mexico Indian Affairs secretary

SHIPROCK

Tribal officials stressed the urgent need for a permanent police department and a modern incident command center during a meeting at the Shiprock Police District’s headquarters.

The meeting, attended by Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, Shiprock Chapter President Nevina Kinlahcheeny, Shiprock Police District Lt. Shirley Sanisya, New Mexico Indian Affairs Department Cabinet Secretary Josett Monette, and Deputy Secretary Seth Damon, focused on improving law enforcement and public safety infrastructure in the community.

“This building was the old post office. I used to come here as a kid to check our mailbox. Now, it serves as our police department,” Kinlahcheeny said. “We’re working with a portable jail, but it’s just a temporary fix. We really need a new police department.”

Monette asked detailed questions about the community’s needs, including daily police call volumes, collaborations with federal agencies, and long-term goals for public safety.

A central topic of discussion was the Shiprock First Incident Command Center, a proposed 25,500-square-foot facility to house police officers, EMTs, firefighters, and emergency management teams. Currently, Shiprock’s police officers work out of the old post office, EMTs operate from a conference room at Northern Medical Center, and firefighters are based in an aging fire station.

The SFICC project is estimated to cost $15.9 million. While New Mexico has committed $12.1 million and the Navajo Nation Division of Community Development has allocated $1 million in matching funds, a funding gap of $3.7 million remains. An additional $1 million is needed for furniture, fixtures, and equipment.

“We cannot continue operating effectively under these conditions,” Kinlahcheeny said, emphasizing the strain on emergency responders and the impact of inflation on project costs.

Kinlahcheeny added the urgency of the need for additional funding to keep the projects going.

“I can spend $8.6 million, but I can’t spend $200,000 because I need $900,000 to finish the project, but if I’m only getting $200,000, then I’m not able to do the project. So, yeah, I have one potato,” the chapter president said.

The new facility will address long-standing gaps in emergency response infrastructure while also integrating mental health services to better serve the community’s needs.

Damon asked tribal officials how they planned to close the funding shortfall.

“So, it’s $3.7 million,” Kinlahcheeny told Damon.

She added that before the COVID-19 pandemic, New Mexico initially had covered construction costs in its entirety, but inflation increases inflated prices and created a shortfall.

The challenges in Shiprock are part of a larger problem across Navajo Nation communities. A 2015 U.S. Department of Justice audit revealed mismanagement of over $35 million in grants intended for correctional facilities. Funds that were supposed to support projects in Tuba City and Kayenta were misallocated, leaving essential needs in other areas unaddressed.

The audit found that facilities in Tuba City and Kayenta were overbuilt. For instance, Tuba City’s facility was designed for 132 beds when the master plan only called for 48. Meanwhile, communities like Shiprock and Window Rock lack adequate public safety infrastructure.

Window Rock, the Navajo Nation’s capital, relies on a former elementary school in Fort Defiance to serve as its police department, further illustrating the disparity in resource allocation.

Kinlahcheeny highlighted Shiprock’s 27 schools and 350 roads as evidence of the community’s pressing need for enhanced emergency response capabilities.

Tribal leaders closed the meeting by urging Monette officials to prioritize funding for the SFICC and other public safety projects.

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