Police plan raises ire on panel

Police plan raises ire on panel
By John Christian HopkinsDine Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The issue is a political hot potato, one that critics claim is half-baked and causes others to boil. No potato has fried the nerves of a politician this much since the infamous Dan Quayle spud. It's the controversial restructuring plan for the Navajo Nation's police force, a move proposed by Navajo Nation Chief of Police Jim Benally and Public Safety Division Director Samson Cowboy. The legislation if passed by the full Navajo Nation Council would eliminate the position of captain within the Nation's police force. The current officers with a captain's rank will have a simple decision to make: Accept the lesser rank of lieutenant or find another job. It's that lack of redress that concerns Delegate Hope MacDonald-Lonetree, chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee, that passed the measure by a 3-2 vote. The deciding vote was cast by the bill's sponsor, Delegate Lorenzo Curley. Such blanket demotions seldom have much appeal for those who must hash out a deal under the sharp scrutiny of the public. This issue, in particular, seems to have mashed personalities and politics all during an election year. Delegate Harry H. Clark honestly hoped the issue would remain off the table until after the election. Too many people will use it to score political points, he feared. The controversial restructuring plan had been on tabled status for the past three or four PSC meetings. The PSC had sought reports on the plan from the Office of Budget and Management and the Department of Justice. An even as the PSC recalled the issue this week, there was an uneasy pause before a motion was made to recall the legislation. There was that same awkward, uneasiness later in the week when the legislation found its way onto the Government Services Committee's agenda. Curley did not appear at Government Services a threat he had hinted at to induce some action by the PSC. "He's here, I saw him outside," said Ervin Keeswood, the chairman of Government Services. "I guess we move on then. I don't see any great objections." There were several sighs of relief inside the North Conference Room. With Public Safety taking action on the legislation, it may not have needed any action by Government Services. The DOJ report to the PSC caused a sharp exchange between MacDonald-Lonetree and Curley, who had suggested that if PSC didn't act he'd take the bill himself to Government Services. MacDonald-Lonetree grilled Curley on what he intended to do if the PSC voted against or deleted his legislation. Curley noted that DOJ attorney Frank Seanez issued an opinion that he could bring the legislation to the Government Services Committee regardless of what the PSC decided. "So you'd be in favor of setting a precedence and overriding the Public Safety Committee's opinion?" snapped MacDonald-Lonetree. "Seanez says in this area Government Services has authority," Curley said. "The law is written that way." Delegate Harry Brown, of the PSC, readily agreed that maybe opinions should be given by the other standing committees. "Why did this come up? There must be something wrong, somewhere," Brown said. As the Government Services Committee meeting neared its close, Delegate Leonard Teller ventured a routine question, "Is it a dead issue now?" Keeswood admitted that he didn't know. It sounds as if a lot of internal conflicts have become embroiled in politics, Teller said. "I don't like that," Teller offered. "I wish it hadn't been on the table. I've gotten phone calls from some other delegates, they don't want this to come up." "It doesn't matter how we feel personally," Keeswood said. "We must consider it, if it comes to the table." Teller gave a sigh. "It's become a political issue now." But it could become a legal issue later. "The way I see it the Navajo Nation will be setting itself up for something beyond disagreeable," said MacDonald-Lonetree. She foresaw a lawsuit, but Curley disagreed, saying the PSC was only doing its constituted duty by voting on this issue. Chiding the committee, Curley asked MacDonald-Lonetree if the DOJ was now making decisions for the Public Safety Committee? "This legislation has caused too much controversy," said Clark. "I still sense at this point in time it's still not a good legislative act. It's embarrassing to our law enforcement. We can't keep having people sweeping things under the table." Lt. Clarence Bilagody of Shiprock Police District resigned his position in April so he could speak out on the plans to eliminate captain positions, which was a part of this restructuring package. At the time Cowboy denied there was any such plan. Bilagody also went onto charge that Benally had created a hostile work environment and he suggested that the restructuring may be more about personalities than policies. Bilagody also claimed that Cowboy flipped him the middle finger. At the time, Shiprock Chapter President Duane "Chili" Yazzie expressed concern over the "forced resignation" of Bilagody. "It is not a good reflection on the department, the division or the Navajo Nation if the forced resignation resulted more from personality politics and less from substantiated cause," Yazzie said.
John Christian Hopkins can be reached at 1-505-371-5443, or by email at Hopkins1960@hotmail.com.
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2006/jun/061506irepnl.html
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