SITE OVERVIEW ♦ TOWAOC | COLORADO
Target Area: Towaoc and White Mesa neighborhoods • Population: 1,100 (Towaoc) and 250 (White Mesa)
Fiscal Agent: Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (UMUT)
Research Partner: Metropolitan State University of Denver
Crime Concerns: Alcohol-related crimes, aggravated assaults, robberies, and other violent crimes
BCJI Funding Year: 2014 Planning
Neighborhood Profile
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe has been officially located on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation for over 100 years. Today, the homelands for the tribe total about 600,000 acres. The tribal lands are located on the Colorado Plateau, a high desert area with deep canyons carved through the mesas. The main governmental seat for the Tribe is in Towaoc, southwest of Mesa Verde National Park and northeast of scenic Monument Valley. The majority of the tribal members live on the reservation in Towaoc with a smaller population in the White Mesa community in Utah. This is a harsh, isolated land, with no nearby cities to access services for the residents living on tribal lands. For residents of Towaoc, the nearest city with a population of more than 50,000 is more than 175 miles away.
The majority of calls for service that are answered at Towaoc are in Quadrant Two, or the northeast portion of Towaoc. This quadrant consists of the following streets: Green Cedar Lane, Sundance Drive, Lafayette Street, Chief Ignacio Street, North Ute Street, North Ute Circle, Reservoir Drive, Cedar Circle, North Bear Dance Drive, Chipeta Circle, Little Bear Court, Moccasin Circle, North Dry Creek Road and Chief Miller Road. The majority of calls answered within this quadrant involve alcohol related offenses. The majority of calls answered within the White Mesa community occur within the northwest portion of the community on Cowboy Street. The majority of calls answered within this community are also alcohol related. Alcohol abuse is a major factor in most calls for service.
Planning Process
UMUT’s main goal was to develop a strategic plan aimed at reducing crime in the Towaoc and White Mesa communities through its cross-sector partnership. Some of the partners included law enforcement agencies, external partners, parents and youth, schools, businesses, civic organizations, service providers, and local universities. To achieve these goals, the project was guided by several objectives, including identifying and prioritizing crime hot spots, identifying and expanding existing planning efforts, enhancing community-based teams, establishing partnerships and resource commitments, and ensuring community residents are partners in the planning process. The site continually conducted in-depth analysis of the crime drivers and resources within the target areas to develop viable, effective, and sustainable strategies to address these issues. Currently, the UMUT is a part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and MacArthur Foundation collaborative Juvenile Justice Diversion for Tribal Youth, an initiative aimed at improving policies and programs diverting American Indian youth with behavioral challenges and previous involvement with the justice system to community-based services. The UMUT is also involved in the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, a recidivism reduction initiative that will analyze UMUT’s efforts to reduce recidivism on the reservation. Finally, Office of Justice Services (OJS) Ute Mountain Ute Agency develops an annual crime prevention plan that includes crime control strategies.
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