More people seeking help from polygamist support group

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Efforts to reach out to people in Utah and Arizona’s polygamous communities are showing more success.

A coalition of people from all sides of the issue say they’re breaking down barriers and getting help to those who really need it.

Members of the Safety Net Committee met here on Thursday. The recent troubles in the border towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., and the Utah Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs‘ criminal convictions were top of mind, but meeting attendees said they did not wish to bring it up. They wanted to keep the peace.

“Probably the reason why I didn’t bring it up is because there were FLDS people present here that we don’t want to alienate here and cause problems here,” said Ross Chatwin, an ex-FLDS member.

The Safety Net is a committee of social workers, government agencies and polygamists trying to build bridges between worlds that historically haven’t trusted each other.

It was created years ago when the attorneys general of Utah and Arizona met to discuss “the polygamy problem.”
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See Also

• Safety Net — Arizona
• Safety Net — Utah