Navajo police chief sees need for female officers
the culture. For instance, women in traditional Navajo culture do not hunt and are not supposed to handle weapons.
Sanisya, who works at the Shiprock district and started her career in law enforcement as a dispatcher, said she was able to overcome the taboos with the support of her family. She is married to another law enforcement officer, and the couple has children — whom they have raised with the assistance and support of their families.
Sanisya said that when she first joined the police force, she was inspired and motivated to see other women in higher ranks. Now that she is a sergeant, she feels new women who start as cadets also feel inspired when they see her in charge.
According to the National Center for Women and Policing, 20 years of research have demonstrated that women utilize a style of policing that relies less on physical force and more on communication skills to defuse violent situations.
“Women police officers are therefore much less likely to be involved in occurrences of police brutality, and are also much more likely to effectively respond to police calls regarding violence against women, which today remains the single largest category of calls to police agencies nationwide,” the center states.