The Navajo Nation and the Coconino County, Arizona sheriff’s office recently signed a cross-commission agreement allowing sheriff’s deputies to enforce tribal criminal and traffic laws at Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort east of Flagstaff. Navajo Nation police will remain the primary law enforcement personnel, with backup assistance from sheriff’s deputies.
Coconino County Sheriff Bill Pribil said, “For about 15 years or more, there has been discussion back and forth between the sheriff’s office and the Navajo Nation to cross-certify deputies to enforce tribal law. While we’ve been working at a nationwide cross-certification, when the casino came up, we saw it as an opportunity to test it out.”
Coconino County sheriff’s officers will be required to complete 16 hours of training on Navajo laws before they can legally be allowed to make arrests for violations of tribal law, exclusively within the 405-acre casino property. Pribil explained, “With the agreement, if something happens at the casino and the Navajo PD asks us to back them up, at least our officers are covered, as far as liability, when they get there.” Sheriff’s deputies will not patrol the casino.
Pribil said his office already responds when the Navajo PD requests backup. From May to November 2013, sheriff’s deputies responded to 89 calls for service at Twin Arrows, including criminal reports, motorist assists and casino walkthroughs. Previously deputies have never before been legally allowed to intervene on their own during the commission of a crime. Said Pribil, “Let’s say there’s a domestic violence issue in the parking lot of the casino. Up to this point, our officers could do nothing except stand by until Navajo PD responded. Now, we can actually take action, make arrests if we need to, and basically provide a much safer environment by being able to step in.”
Suspects arrested by sheriff’s deputies will be held in Navajo Nation jails and prosecuted through the tribal courts.
Pribil said the agreement will remain in place for 18 months and can be renewed if all parties agree to that.
