Arizona to pay for sheriff to patrol Colorado City

PHOENIX (AP) - The Arizona Attorney General's Office plans to provide funding to the Mohave County sheriff to provide law enforcement patrols in a northern Arizona community with a polygamist enclave.

Attorney General Tom Horne says his office will use $420,000 of asset forfeiture money to provide overtime pay for deputies to patrol Colorado City, located on the Arizona-Utah line.

Horne's announcement Thursday comes a month after the Arizona Legislature narrowly rejected Horne-backed legislation to have sheriff's deputies patrol Colorado City instead of the town marshal's office.

Horne contends that marshal's officers are followers of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs and put following Jeffs over obeying the law.

Horne's office says the new arrangement will take effect in July upon approval by the Mohave County Board of Supervisors.

Jeffs is imprisoned in Texas.

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