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Welcoming law enforcement

James Ramos, chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, has cracked down on violence and drugs on the reservation and asked the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department to increase patrols and visibility there.

James Ramos, chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, has cracked down on violence and drugs on the reservation and asked the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department to increase patrols and visibility there.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Vice chairwoman

Lynn Valbuena, the tribe’s vice chairwoman, cradles a Native American doll as she arrives at her office on the reservation in Highland, at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Morning shift

Officer Sharlene Serbin, left, and other officers with the tribe’s Department of Public Safety report their morning briefing. The department includes approximately 450 security professionals and support personnel, a tribal official said.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

K-9 patrol

San Manuel K-9 unit Officer Edward Nerey, with dog, Bara, is part of the tribe’s 450-member public safety department. The tribe’s cooperation with law enforcement stands in marked contrast to the distrust that has festered between the nearby Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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