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Patrol Officer Trainees, Lydia Jerry and Trey Lange, will soon travel to Artesia, N.M. to attend the Indian Country Police Officer Training Program at the United States Indian Police Academy. Their three-month training will develop their skills to become law enforcement officers with the Southern Ute Police Department.
Patrol Officer Trainees, Lydia Jerry and Trey Lange have both been employed with the Southern Ute Police Department for about two months. Ahead of their training in Artesia, N.M., the pair have been studying tribal law, learning more about Southern Ute culture, and physically preparing themselves ahead of their three-month training program.
Trey Lange and Lydia Jerry will begin training on Monday, Feb. 9 at the United States Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M., learning everything from report writing to proper arrest techniques and more during their time at the leading training provider for law enforcement in Indian Country.
Photo Credit: Divine Windy Boy | The Southern Ute Drum
Photo Credit: Divine Windy Boy | The Southern Ute Drum
Photo Credit: Divine Windy Boy | The Southern Ute Drum
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SUPD recruits head to Artesia, N.M.

Friday - February 6, 2026 by Divine Windy Boy | The Southern Ute Drum

Since October of last year, the Tribe’s Justice & Regulatory Department had the goal of bringing in new hires just in time to send them to the United States Indian Police Academy (USIPA) located in Artesia, N.M. Now, new recruits Trey Lange and Lydia Jerry will travel south to complete their formal training and return as officers for the Southern Ute Police Department.  

USIPA is the leading training provider for law enforcement in Indian Country. Originally established as the U.S. Indian Police Training and Research Center, the academy opened in December of 1968 – initially focused on training law enforcement officers serving tribal communities across the country. The program now offers specialized training for supervisors, juvenile officers, criminal investigators, and more. Recruits Lange and Jerry will complete the Indian Country Police Officer Training Program (ICPOTP) at USIPA, a program for law enforcement officers who are charged with enforcing law, regulations, and violations on Indian and tribal lands.  

According to the USIPA website, ICPOTP will span 13.5 weeks, containing 575.5 hours of instruction and 22 hours of administrative time for a program total of 597.5 hours. The program is designed to progressively develop law enforcement officers with core courses in report writing, court testimony, federal and tribal criminal law and application, emergency response driving, basic marksmanship and more, all relative to Indian Country.  

Lydia Jerry, originally from California, is a member of the Karuk Tribe of California and is also Mexican American. For Jerry, family and community have always played a big role in her life and shaped how she shows up for the people around her – while pursuing college in New Mexico, she worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs; gaining a deeper understanding of public service and the responsibility that comes with protecting Native communities. That experience helped to confirm her interest in law enforcement.  

“I went to school for a little bit in Albuquerque, then decided that wasn’t something I was interested in at the time – so I did some job shadowing with some of the Albuquerque officers and then I had met someone who worked as a tribal police officer for Laguna Pueblo, their experience really inspired me,” Jerry said. “I look forward to helping people and [the Southern Ute Police Department] is a good place to start, everyone’s been really helpful sharing information with us before we go to the Academy – we will perfect our craft, and growing up in my tribal community has shaped who I am. I believe effective policing starts with trust, serving as a Native officer will allow me to approach the role with familiarity, respect, and a genuine connection to the people I will serve.” 

Trey Lange, born in Durango and a graduate of neighboring Bayfield High School, is the husband of Tatiana and father of three plus their family companion: a seven-year-old black labrador retriever. Lange worked in the construction industry previously; drawing inspiration from his family and friends, Lange now looks forward to becoming an officer with the Southern Ute Police Department. “I have grown up in this community – playing sports, hunting, and being involved, I also have friends who are members of the Tribe, so that really interested me in learning more about their culture and the [organization],” Lange said. “I also have many family ties, lots of them have been in law enforcement including my father – they have taught me how important [law enforcement] is to all communities. I really look forward to helping people in our area and the Southern Ute people.” 

The importance of culturally responsible community policing is high priority for both Jerry, as an Indigenous woman, and Lange as a longtime resident and community member. Their qualities go hand in hand with the mission for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Justice & Regulatory Department, which oversees numerous aspects of law enforcement within the Southern Ute Reservation. Following their 13.5 weeklong training at the United States Indian Police Academy located in Artesia, N.M., the pair will return to the Southern Ute Police Department where they will be sworn in as officers and begin serving the community this summer. 

 

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