Navajo Police: Class 57

The foundation was culture and pride. As I watched these men and women endure their journey into what I know to be a desperate situation. I grew up on the reservation and the police response has always been a problem. Crime, violence, drugs, addiction are on the rise and very few police to enforce the law. It's a story that we never got to see and it was eye opening. Not just because very few people want to serve but because of the men and women's stories behind the badge. To see the screening process and the initiation wasn't easy to see but I'm glad the recruits are prepared to meet any obstacle in their service. Also to understand Their personal struggles and their reason to serve the Navajo Nation was the icing on the cake. It was a great watch.

I'm glad to see the Navajo People represented in the mainstream. I grew up next to the Navajo Reservation and am familiar with the people, the culture, and the issues that affect the Diné people on the Reservation. Diné values include K'é (family), hózhó (harmony/balance), and ceremonies that celebrate mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. This doc takes until episode 2 before it points out some of the serious gaps in leadership at the Navajo Police Training Academy, which appear at odds with the traditional Navajo values of balance and harmony.

At one point, a training officer is lecturing the recruits on the impact of domestic abuse and generational trauma, citing the mental, emotional, economic, and physical impacts. This is juxtaposed next to scenes of the trainers themselves shaming, humiliating, discouraging, and belittling their own recruits. It's important to train first responders to get used to stress, but the Academy's heavily discouraging approach from day one focuses on how so many will fail, emphasizes how weak and "mental" they are for showing discomfort, and seems to be pushing out the recruits they so desperately need.

The Navajo Nation is a close-knit community who rely on the values of K'é and Hózhó to keep them grounded to their culture. They're aware of how the loss of their culture has led to many of the problems faced by people still trying to survive on the Reservation. However, the way the academy operates, it seems like there is a notable lack of support to succeed. I'm not even sure what the Academy's values are, except that it's difficult and important to be in control of yourself. At no point did I notice any of the trainers offer helpful advice on how to self-regulate during stressful exercises, how to breathe correctly to control your fear, how to feel feelings without allowing it to control you; instead it was constant put-downs and admonishment for these young people trying their level-best to live up the the impossible expectations set before them.

There's an attempt to tie community values into the training, but the Academy is clearly needing more of its own balance if it's to see its graduating officer numbers rise to the level of need on the Navajo Reservation.

This may be the best anti recruiting film ever made. The abusive, militaristic approach of the lead trainer is disgusting to behold. (And they wonder why so many recruits drop out.). Perhaps the instructor just doesn't know any better having been warped and disfigured by his own training. Or perhaps he's just a frustrated Marine Corp drill instructor wannabe. He not only should not be allowed near recruits, he should not be allowed to wear a badge.

What you get when you prepare police officers to go into service as though they are entering a war zone, is a war zone mentality. Every good cop I've ever known, knows that empathy, compassion and communication skills are at the heart of day to day policing.

I expect some viewers will get off on the toxic masculinity of this program. As for me, I didn't make it past the first episode.

A seemingly honest and true portrayal of the lack of resources and federal funding for the Native American reservations law enforcement emergency response teams are overwhelmed due to lack of sufficient staff and future Cadets who must go through a grueling training process and background checks to become certified Navajo Tribal Police. This program watches several Cadets and there families go through their own training at the academy and home family life as the transition to being on the job on there own Navajo Tribe Police Officers.

A three series episode documentary that is absolutely binge worthy 👍

I do not watch many documentaries, in fact I do not enjoy them much. This one however is well worth watching. This is about native american - Navajo - police academy. But academy seems to be only minor part of the series. What carried the most weight for me was the life on the Navajos in desert, life without hope and without future, where two best job opportunities are to become criminal, or to join a police. Cadets are trained military style, in fact when I watched it, I saw a striking resemblance of training depicted in "Full Metal Jacket".

For me personally, the most impressive part was in episode 3 when one of the new officers said that during 2 months of being on the job he had to draw a pistol 20 times, and asssault rifle 5 times. This is simply shocking. They are in the warzone. Huge majority of Polish police officers never have to draw weapon in anger during their entire career, but here... every radio call can be your last.

Definitely worth watching.