Violent crimes increase
Cadets receive special training to combat meth-related crimes

By Natasha Kaye Johnson
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — When law enforcement officers put their uniforms on in the morning and clock in for duty, they put themselves at risk.

The risk is far greater for Navajo Nation officers who have to address crimes relating to meth. With meth plaguing the Navajo Nation, law enforcement officials are responding to more vicious crimes than ever.

"Crimes are definitely more violent," said Sgt. Patrick Cook, who has been in law enforcement for over 13 years.

Cook is one of several law enforcement sergeants who agree that crimes are more vicious than years before. Statistics from the Navajo Nation Information and Records confirm their observation.

From 2005 to 2006, the number of murders on the Nation nearly doubled, jumping from 16 to 30, after four years of steadily decreasing. Although there are no statistics kept specifically on meth-related crimes, Chief Jim Benally attributes the sudden increase to meth.

Knowing this, Cook and Sgt. Shawn Garnenez are trying to prepare cadets at the Toyei Training Academy for situations involving the highly addictive drug.

"We must keep up with the times," said Cook. "It's not an easy task."

Every few years, a new drug trend forms, said Cook. Before meth, there was marijuana and alcohol, and officers received training to address situations involving those drugs. But a new generation of officers are facing more dangerous circumstances when dealing with meth users, whose symptoms includes highly aggressive behavior, paranoia, and hallucinations.

While the Department of Law Enforcement is given curriculum and protocols to address meth related situations from various law enforcement agencies, including the State of Arizona, the scenarios offered cannot be applied to the reservation.

"We're not a city; we're widespread," said Garnenez.

In the country, officers can be spotted from miles away before arriving to a call, making it difficult to bust both dealers and possibly makers of the drug. Benally believes this may be one of the reasons that a meth lab has not been found on the Nation though officials believe the drug is coming primarily from nearby metropolis areas.

Furthermore, in the city, officials said a response to a request for backup can be answered with within a few minutes, but because the Nation covers far more area, it's not unusual for backup to arrive an hour after being called. Muddy roads and unmarked residential areas don't help either.

With meth related situations, officials stated, the situation could be deadly for officers.

"We must prepare them mentally for the unexpected," said Garnenez, referring to the new wave of upcoming officers.

Training a "civilian right off the street" to become an officer, Cook said, is a challenge, especially with such things as meth related crimes. In the ninth week of the program, their starting number of 15 cadets dropped to nine. The number could realistically drop lower.

"It's physically and mentally stressful for them, and they just can't handle it," said Cook. "We just don't give people a weapon and a badge."