For background to this story, I highly recommend reading my previous diary on the polygamous towns of Colorado City, Arizona/Hildale, Utah which will help you to understand the dynamic of what has taken place--and IS taking place--in these towns.
The background and new story will largely be told via news video.
The history of what has now led to competing police enforcement is ugly; a department of local marshals entirely beholden to now imprisoned rapist and continuing "prophet" of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints [FLDS], Warren Steed Jeffs.
In an effort to deal with the church-controlled marshals, Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne attempted to pass a bill that, due to the decertification of so many of the town's marshals, would have collapsed the agency and replaced it with a police force not beholden to the FLDS; the Arizona Mojave County Sheriffs. The bill sailed through the state senate but failed in the state house.
Warning: The following video may not be appropriate for those sensitive to physical abuse.
Link to video. [http://www.azfamily.com/...]
On June 21, shortly after the state bill(s) failed, the US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the twin towns and two of their utility companies alleging religious discrimination. The charges--sections of which I include in my previous diary--are quite serious.
This video pretty much lays it all out and is quite disturbing:
Link to video. http://www.azfamily.com/home/Justice-Department-sues-two-FLDS-towns-160575905.html}
Warning: the video below may not be suitable to those particularly sensitive to physical abuse or animal abuse.
Link to video. [
Link to video. [http://www.azfamily.com/...]
In the meantime, Attorney General Horne scraped up a maximum of $500,000.00 and yesterday, Friday, at 9AM, the Mojave County, AZ Sheriff's office began patrolling the town.
Now, when a woman is being beaten or a child abandoned on the roadside, or perhaps a woman wants to leave the FLDS cult, something can and will be done. There is hope.