Forum focuses on polygamy woes

Members of other polygamous groups said the controversy surrounding Jeffs has led to a vicious stereotyping and backlash. Natalie Hammon, a basketball coach for a Colorado City-area school, said her team experienced taunts and even violence at a game against an outside community.

"These kids were getting heckled," she said. "They were saying, 'Go home to your five wives and kids."'

That prejudice works both ways, St. George resident Jane Hawley said.

"In the store, I reach out to smile at a baby from someone in the community and had dirty looks or they gathered their children away," she said. "I'd like to see that change, see mutual trust and respect for each other."

Perhaps as a result of Jeffs' jailing, law enforcement officials said they are noticing some small changes in the rigidly isolated FLDS community.

Washington County sheriff's deputy Darrell Cashin admitted to having "trust issues" with officers in the polygamous border towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., when he was put on patrol there last year.

Asked if he was comfortable having the Hildale/Colorado City Town Marshal's Office back him up on calls, Cashin said he had no problem with a simple traffic stop.

"But on a serious incident involving a prominent citizen of their community, I wouldn't let them get behind me," he told the crowd.

Since then, Cashin said both sides have started talking — and working together.

"They turned over a sex offense case involving two FLDS members," he said. "The marshals have introduced me to other members of the community, and now some citizens wave at me and are at least willing to say hi."

Washington County Attorney Brock Belnap, who is prosecuting Jeffs, hopes that cooperation continues.

"People are very sincere in their belief system," he said. "There are very good people. At least for me, the issues that I'm concerned about are not people's beliefs. What I'm concerned about instead is compliance with the law with respect to children."

The FLDS Church does have a member who shows up to meetings of the Safety Net Committee and reports back to leadership on what is said.

The event had the feel of a convention, complete with vendor booths. Only those booths featured advocate groups like Mohave County Victim Services, Principle Voices and the HOPE Organization. The pro-polygamy Centennial Park Action Committee set up a "hospitality room" where it served veggies and cookies and played a DVD featuring members of the community combating negative stereotypes of polygamists.

Earlier in the day, members of polygamous groups, activists and government social workers participated in a training on authoritarian groups and breaking through the isolation.