Riverside County sheriff calls for closure of Soboba tribe's casino
Sheriff Sniff tells county supervisors that he has asked federal authorities to suspend the casino's operating license. He says deputies were barred from entering the reservation.
By David Kelly, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
11:52 AM PDT, July 29, 2008
Riverside County Sheriff Stanley Sniff on Tuesday called on federal authorities to shut down the Soboba Casino, saying the tribal council had ordered security officers to block or delay his deputies from entering the troubled reservation, where five members have been shot dead during confrontations with his department.
In a letter sent Monday to the National Indian Gaming Commission, the sheriff asked authorities to suspend the operating license of the casino, Sniff told a meeting of the County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. He added that tribal leaders and security officers could face arrest if they interfere with law enforcement action on the reservation.
"The tribal council has directed tribal officers to block officers coming onto the reservation," Sniff told supervisors. "This is a violation of the law. Allowing an isolated pocket of lawlessness to exist is simply not an option. The residents deserve better than this."
The announcement comes two weeks after Sniff and Soboba Tribal Chairman Robert Salgado signed an agreement designed to ease tensions on the San Jacinto-area reservation, where five tribal members have been shot dead in gunfights with deputies since December.
Sniff said he would turn over information on the shootings to the FBI. A lawyer for the tribe has said he may file a federal lawsuit against Riverside County, alleging the shootings were the result of poor training and prejudice against Native Americans.
Salgado could not immediately be reached for comment.
The tribe is sponsoring a forum next month on Public Law 280, the federal law that gives local authorities power to enforce law on Indian reservations. Sniff said he wasn't planning on attending.
"We already understand what the law is," he said. "They are the ones who need to understand what the law is. It's not an issue with any other tribe but them."
david.kelly@latimes.com
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