Tohono O’odham police receive mandatory MMIW training

All members of the Tohono O’odham Police Department in Sells, Arizona, are undergoing mandatory training on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis. April Ignacio, co-founder of Indivisible Tohono, provides the training with Arizona Department of Public Safety’s Tribal Liaison, Capt. Paul Etnire. The first sessions were held in May at the department’s San Xavier station, according to the Arizona Mirror.

Ignacio, who serves on Arizona state and regional MMIP task forces, aims to train the entire department by the end of August. She said the sessions provide officers with an overview of the crisis, insight into systemic gaps and strategies to improve response. According to Ignacio, the Tohono O’odham PD is the only tribal agency in Arizona currently requiring such training.