Sheriff Joseph Dedman - A New Era

You might see him on his Harley-Davidson traveling around the Navajo Nation. Or maybe visiting family members near Nazlini where he grew up.

Wherever you may run into Joseph Dedman , Jr., you can be assured of

seeing a piece of history in the making. The 27-year law enforcement veteran is the first Navajo sheriff of Apache County, and he has spent the first four months of his post making good on campaign promises.

The road leading to his position as sheriff combines tradition and technology. As a boy, he learned from his grandfather who was a medicine man and has rich memories of riding his pony into Ganado, planting corn and attending dances. The only boy in a family of four children, his mother died when he was young and Dedman shouldered a deep sense of responsibility to help care and provide for his sisters. He began working while attending high school to help support the family.

His law enforcement career began as a police communication operator. Dedman then attended the Navajo Police Academy and became a certified peace officer in both New Mexico and Arizona. He worked for the Navajo Nation’s Department of Public Safety Special Investigations Unit, providing personal security to former Navajo Nation leader Peter MacDonald Sr. and others. Dedman also served with the Internal Affairs Department and he teaches police liability and ethics for the Navajo Police Academy.
Dedman and his wife have three children and two grandchildren.

211 miles from the Utah border to south of Alpine. Most of the area is rural with 78 percent of the roads unpaved, making emergency services difficult, particularly during the wet season.

The Apache County Sheriff’s Office is charged with providing equal protection and fair service to all citizens in a timely and professional manner. The mission of an air support unit would be to provide efficient and effective law enforcement support, air ambulance and fire support to eastern Arizona through a cooperative agreement with first responder agencies for staffing and maintaining the unit. The Sheriff’s Office has developed good working relationships with the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, Navajo County, Greenlee County and other nearby Arizona counties and municipalities.

Currently, the only air support for the area is provided through the Arizona Department of Public Safety, stationed several flight hours away from county residents. Response time can be made even longer with poor weather conditions and competing needs.

The sheriff’s budget request is for $2.8 million for the first year of service. This includes $1.5 million for the purchase of a Bell 206L helicopter, maintenance, fuel, training and other equipment.

The First 100 Days

It's always difficult to take on a visible new role such as sheriff, but Joseph Dedman has set a series of goals for himself that includes improving the morale of his team, enforcing philosophy of accountability and responding to the concerns of citizens and staff.
In his first few months in office, he had started to make some changes, including:

• Creating two criminal investigation positions within the Sheriff’s office.
• Obtaining armored vehicles for Special Operations Teams.
• Conducting a strategic planning session for all commissioned personnel.
• Coordinating intelligence with COVP and Navajo Nation chapters with Apache County on illegal alcohol and drug sales using Navajo Nation Fundamental Law.