Ronald Silversmith oversees the operation of Navajo Police Department which is the largest tribal law enforcement agency in the United States. His departments’ jurisdiction covers 27,000 square miles in the three different states and services a population of over 178,000. He is responsible for over 205 commissioned officers and over 100 civilian support staff, including police dispatchers.
Chief of Police Ronald Silversmith is a member of the Navajo Tribe and is of the Ma’ii Deeshgiizhnii (Coyote Pass-Jemez Pueblo) clan and born for Kinyaa’aanii (Towering House). Silversmith is originally from Navajo Station/Cornfields, Arizona.
Chief of Police Silversmith attended Ganado High School and graduated with Class of 1983. He also attended Diné College and earned an Associates of Arts in Business Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. In 1985, he joined the Navajo Police Department to begin his law enforcement career and graduated with Basic Recruit Class 26 from the Navajo Police Training Academy in 1986.
Throughout his 40 years of service with the department, he served as a Patrolman and Patrol Sergeant with Window Rock District, and as an Internal Affairs Investigator (Sergeant) and Commander (Lieutenant) with the Department of Internal Affairs. In 2017, he was promoted to the rank of Police Captain and served as the Central Area Commander, consisting of three Navajo Police Districts: Chinle, Dilkon & Window Rock.
In 2022, Silversmith was selected for promotion to Deputy Chief of Police to oversee field operations for the Navajo Police Department by former Chief of Police Daryl Noon.
In June 2024, Silversmith was appointed to Chief of Police.
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