Lieutenant Juan Martinez and Chris Naranjo recently took a group of young tribal members to visit the Indian Police Academy in Artesia, NM; and the NM State Police Academy in Santa Fe.

The tribal members who went on the trip are Jack Frost III, Hunter Frost and Carlos Herrera. These young men have all expressed an interest in working in the field of law enforcement someday. We wanted to show them what it might be like to attend one of these academies. We also got to visit briefly with Jesse Vigil, a tribal member who is halfway complete with his training at the Indian Police Academy in Artesia, NM.

These young men rode on the track in a police car, shot in a training simulator, felt what it’s like to lose control in a car on a controlled skid pad; and try their hand at the obstacle course in Santa Fe, NM. We also spent some time at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM and took in a movie as part of the trip.

We want to especially thank the Tribes Youth Employment Program and Tribal Council for their support of these types of events for tribal youth. We hope to make this an annual event for any tribal youth, boy or girl, who may be interested in a career in law enforcement.