The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe has been awarded $1.2 million from the Department of Justice to fund law enforcement services in the White Mesa community of southeast Utah.
Of the funding, $784,000 will be used to reestablish an officer presence in the isolated reservation town of 170 people.
Another $410,000 will go toward victim service programs that reflect tribal community values and traditions.
The satellite band of the Ute Mountain Tribe has no officers stationed in the area, said Tribal Chairman Manuel Heart on Friday.
“Right now, an officer from Towaoc (Colorado) has to drive an hour-and-a-half to cover calls in White Mesa,” he said.
Heart said the goal is to hire two full-time officers to staff the police substation at White Mesa. Eventually, Heart would like to see four officers there to provide 24-7 coverage.
Upgrades to the police substation in White Mesa are also planned, he said.
The White Mesa officers will lead the Community Response Team to address suicide prevention, domestic violence, human trafficking, child abuse and substance use challenges, and offer quarterly awareness and education events for the public, according to a news release.
The funds will support benefits and salaries for the officers, and support the purchase of police vehicles, officer uniforms, and gear.
Recruiting and retaining officers has been a challenge for the tribe, Heart said.
The one White Mesa officer recently resigned to take a job in Farmington, leaving none for town, which is on U.S. Highway 191 south of Blanding.
Ute Mountain Ute police officers are hired through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which provides training and certifications.
Heart said delays in the agency’s background check system has been problematic in hiring law enforcement officers to serve the tribe.
“Applicants get tired of waiting for months, and move on to other job opportunities,” Heart said.
The tribe also is working to reestablish agreements with the Utah State Patrol and San Juan County Sheriff’s Office in Utah to help provide law enforcement services for White Mesa.
Previous arrangements for the cooperative police coverage stopped because of a lawsuit from another tribe in Utah that did not involve the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Heart said.
“That should not affect us, and I’ve been working with Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson to bring those agreements back,” Heart said.
The federal funding was provided through the Office of Justice Program Byrne Discretionary Community Program, and Office for Victims of Crime.
“Our partnership with tribal leaders to strengthen public safety, improve victim services, and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts is a key objective for our office, and funding programs that support victims and promote public safety is a priority,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Cole Finegan, in the news release. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to making tribal communities safer and ensuring access to justice for all.”
jmimiaga@the-journal.com
