Navajo Nation Police

The Navajo Treaty of 1868, which released Navajos from captivity at Fort Sumner, established law enforcement as the responsibility of the federal government. The first Navajo police force was created in 1872 and dissolved three years later. Although there were police on the reservation, they were funded and supported by the United States government. Policing in the Navajo Nation was operated directly by the Bureau of Indian Affairs from the late 19th century until 1959, when it established its own tribal police force. While the force was and remains largely funded by the federal government, the force has operated on its own since 1959. The Navajo Nation police is responsible for law enforcement and for the care and custody of prisoners.

All officers are issued a service Glock 22 40 caliber sidearm, expandable baton, handcuffs, bullet-resistant vest, pepper spray and portable radio linked to a central dispatch. Rural substation officers are issued take-home vehicles, a shotgun, metal spike strips and speed radar guns. There are 200 vehicles in the Police department's fleet ranging from sport utility vehicles (SUV) such as: Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Blazer, Chevrolet Suburban and Jeep Liberty to Sedans: Chevrolet Impala. There are Kawasaki Kz1000s for motor units, 4-Wheel all-terrain vehicles (ATV) for special events/crowd control, and street bicycle units. All patrol vehicles are currently outfitted with laptop computer technology working with local Wi-Fi internet connection to assist officers to write and file reports electronically. The department recently obtained a mobile command post vehicle which is assigned to the Shiprock district located in Shiprock, New Mexico.

In 2018 chief of police Phillip Francisco restarted the Navajo Nation police academy, using the former Chinle jail as a training headquarters. Twelve new recruits graduated in June 2018, the first in-house graduates in ten years.