Colorado Lawmakers Demand Federal Review of Ute Mountain Ute Police Crisis

Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, along with Rep. Hurd, press DOI for 90-day analysis after deadly shootings and tribal curfew

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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Three Colorado lawmakers - Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, along with Representative Jeff Hurd - are urging the Department of the Interior to conduct a formal 90-day review of law enforcement capacity on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. The lawmakers say the reservation is facing a public safety crisis, with only two officers patrolling nearly 600,000 acres and serving around 2,000 tribal members. This comes after a rise in violent incidents, including the high-profile killing of a 24-year-old woman in 2025 and the 2024 shooting death of a 7-year-old child, which has led the tribal council to impose a nightly curfew.

Why it matters

The situation on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation highlights the chronic underfunding and understaffing of law enforcement in many tribal communities across the U.S. The lawmakers argue that the federal government has a legal responsibility to fulfill its trust obligations to the tribe and ensure adequate public safety resources. A detailed review could provide data to support future funding requests and help tribal and federal officials determine how to best allocate law enforcement on the reservation.

The details

According to the lawmakers, the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation is patrolled by only one Bureau of Indian Affairs officer and one tribal officer, covering a vast 600,000-acre area with around 2,000 tribal members. In response to a rise in gun violence, the tribal council has imposed a nightly curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. The lawmakers are now pressing the Department of the Interior to conduct a 90-day analysis of law enforcement capacity on the reservation, which they say could help identify the resources needed to address the public safety crisis.

  • In August 2025, a 24-year-old woman was killed in a high-profile incident on the reservation.
  • On December 11, 2024, a 7-year-old child was killed in a shooting incident that led to a federal indictment in January 2025.
  • In January 2026, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council implemented a nightly curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in an effort to regain control on the streets.

The players

Michael Bennet

A U.S. Senator from Colorado.

John Hickenlooper

A U.S. Senator from Colorado.

Jeff Hurd

A U.S. Representative from Colorado.

William Kirkland

The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior.

Jeremiah Hight

The individual indicted on second-degree murder and firearms charges related to the 2024 shooting death of a 7-year-old child on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The Department of the Interior must now decide whether to launch the requested 90-day review. The lawmakers say they plan to work with tribal leaders and the agency to make sure the reservation receives the law enforcement resources it needs.

The takeaway

This case highlights the chronic underfunding and understaffing of law enforcement in many tribal communities across the U.S., and the urgent need for the federal government to fulfill its trust obligations to Native American tribes and ensure adequate public safety resources on reservations.