Santa Ana Pueblo Opens New Public Safety and Judicial Services Complex

October 27, 2024

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Ramona Goolsby

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On October 18, 2024, the Pueblo of Santa Ana celebrated the grand opening of its new Public Safety and Judicial Services Complex. This $15.5 million, 20,000 square foot facility will house the Pueblo’s police department and tribal court operations. The new complex, located at 11 West Prairie Star Road near U.S. Highways 550 and 528, aims to bolster the safety and security of the Pueblo while providing modern facilities for law enforcement and judicial services. The facility site was chosen to minimize the travel time between the Complex and the population center of the community.

While the new facility is a significant achievement for the Pueblo, it comes at a critical time when Indigenous communities across New Mexico are grappling with the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).

The MMIP issue has disproportionately affected Indigenous communities in New Mexico as New Mexico has one of the highest rates of missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives in the country, prompting the creation of a task force to study the issue. Currently there are 189 people listed as missing on the New Mexico Department of Justice MMIP portal .

Inside of Santa Ana Pueblo Public Safety and Judicial Services Complex
Inside the Santa Ana Pueblo Public Safety and Judicial Services Complex.

This new Public Safety and Judicial Services Complex offers hope that increased resources and updated infrastructure can help the Pueblo more effectively address safety and judicial issues affecting the Santa Ana Pueblo. Santa Ana’s new facility stands as a symbol of progress—not just in public safety infrastructure, but in the ongoing fight for justice and support for Indigenous people.

Written by Ramona Goolsby