It's time to stop crimes in secretive towns
 
IN OUR VIEW
The Spectrum
 
The apparent shake-up in leadership in Colorado City should provide authorities with yet another opportunity to make inroads into their investigations of potential crimes in the polygamist colony along the Arizona-Utah border.

Regardless of what leaders in the secretive towns of Colorado City and Hildale might say, there appears to be a struggle for power in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The church, which still holds polygamy among its basic tenets of faith, last weekend expelled longtime Colorado City Mayor Dan Barlow and about 20 other men because of their "sins." Barlow, besides serving as mayor, also was the official voice of the church, serving as its spokesman to the outside world.

The men were told that they would have to give up their wives and children, but they would be allowed to regain them and resume a relationship with the church if they repented.

In the aftermath, Barlow resigned. Warren Jeffs, the man serving as the prophet for the FLDS church, has remained silent, possibly because authorities in Utah and Arizona are seeking him for questioning in connection with the spiritual "marriages" of underage girls.

One positive outcome of this episode could be that some of the people cast aside, for whatever the reason, might come forward to share what they know about this secret society with authorities. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has urged them to do just that in hopes of building a case against people who are abusing children and/or the state's public-assistance systems.

Shurtleff has the right strategy. Now is the time to seek inroads into Hildale and Colorado City to find and prosecute criminals. The Washington County Sheriff's Office has increased its presence in the Hildale area. That's also smart. The sheriff's and attorney's offices and the Utah Attorney General's Office have to seize this opportunity. It's no time to sit on the sidelines.

Not all residents of Colorado City and Hildale are criminals. It's easy to lump all polygamists together because of their conservative choice of clothing. But appearances aren't everything. Many take more than one wife, which is against the state's Constitution. But, for the most part, they support themselves and do no harm to others.

What consenting adults do in the privacy of their homes is their own business. But there are some in the border towns who commit serious crimes. They take young girls as spiritual wives and, in effect, commit crimes of sexual misconduct. Others form spiritual marriages and then live off of taxpayers because they can't support their large families.

Our law-enforcement officers have a responsibility to act. Getting inside this secretive group is difficult, but this latest schism might provide an opportunity to make a serious statement.

The message should be clear: We won't tolerate criminal activity -- not even in a secretive community where some people use religion as an excuse to harm others.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published Wednesday, January 14, 2004
 
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