FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Navajo Nation Human Rights commissioners say they’ve received complaints about border towns that include police brutality and jail deaths.
In Cuba, N.M., Navajos have said they were apprehended, beaten and left in hills outside town. In Flagstaff and Cortez, commissioners know of several unexplained jail deaths.
“Some of the stories we’ve heard are abhorrent,” commissioner Steve Darden said.
The five-member commission is holding a series of hearings across the 27,425 square-mile Navajo Nation to assess border town justice. The commission says it investigates complaints within 20 days of receiving them.
“We’re not here to lambaste officers, but we will investigate any complaint,” said Darden, a former Flagstaff magistrate and city council member.
Other formal complaints include incarceration without proper representation, racial profiling and excessive use of force. Darden said Albuquerque was the hot spot, and the U.S. Department of Justice was investigating mistreatment of the city’s homeless population.
In Gallup, N.M., officials report nearly a dozen alcohol-related exposure deaths attributed to the city’s mandatory 72-hour hold policy.
“Based on the complaints, it’s caused me to raise an eyebrow,” said commissioner Frank Bradley.
During his 24-year indigenous law enforcement career, Bradley said he had witnessed excessive use of force, which the former Shiprock, N.M.-based officer blamed on inadequate oversight.
“There’s no supervision on the streets,” he said. “Policy isn’t being followed, and no one is watching.”
Bradley, who said he has conducted more than 500 SWAT missions, argues that most civil rights violations could be avoided if officers were better trained in cultural awareness and interpersonal skills.
“As an officer, you have to be able to talk and be respectful,” said the retired Navajo police sergeant. “Treat others how you would want to be treated.”
Bradley, who has two siblings and a daughter in law enforcement, acknowledged that the work was dangerous, but added that many are quick to dismiss police indiscretions with “knee jerk” reactions.
“As a civilian now, I’m appalled at the lack of accountability,” he said.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com