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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Pinto

DATE TYPED 03/08/05 HB

SHORT TITLE Crownpoint & Shiprock Public Safety Complex

SB SJM 91

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Indian Affairs Department

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Joint Memorial 91 (SJM 91) urges the U.S. Congress to provide thirty-four million two

hundred thousand dollars ($34,200,000) for planning and construction of a public safety complex

for the Shiprock and Crownpoint communities. It further directs that the memorial be given to

the New Mexico Congressional delegation

.

Significant Issues

The Indian Affairs Department reports.

The Navajo Division of Public Safety has over 700 employees who provide services in

the following areas: law enforcement, criminal investigation, corrections, highway safety,

and fire and rescue. Eighty-six percent (86%) of Division funds are from external

sources such as federal funding, while fourteen percent (14%) of Division funds are from

Navajo Nation General Funds.

According to the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety statistics, Navajo Nation law

enforcement make over 38,000 arrests annually, nearly 1,000 of which are major crimes,

Senate Joint Memorial 92 -- Page 2

yet Navajo Nation detention facilities have bed space for only 103 inmates. Navajo Na-

tion detention facilities have consistently operated at more than sixty percent (60%)

above capacity. Due to limited detention facilities, the Navajo Nation criminal justice

system is forced to release less serious criminal offenders back into communities in order

to create more space for serious offenders.

In 2003, Congress approved a priority list of tribal detention facilities to be funded

throughout Indian Country. According to this funding priority list, Navajo Nation would

be funded for one detention facility in Crownpoint (ranked 9

th

) and another detention fa-

cility in Shiprock (ranked 11

th

). However, since FY 2003, federal funds have not been

appropriated to construct these new detention facilities in Navajo Nation. As a result of

lack of federal funding, Navajo Nation’s public safety needs remain unmet.

MW/sb