Blackfoot mayor, police department call for Sheriff Rowland’s immediate resignation

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) - Blackfoot Mayor Marc Carroll and the Blackfoot Police Department are calling for Bingham County Sheriff Craig Rowland’s immediate resignation.

"In order to protect the integrity of our Law Enforcement Agencies, the City of Blackfoot and the Blackfoot Police Department call for the immediate resignation and public apology to the Fort Hall community by Sheriff Craig Rowland," Mayor Carroll said.

This comes after remarks published in an affidavit connected to the aggravated assault and battery charges against him.

"In the Court Addidavit, Sheriff Rowland also made extremely disparaging remarks regarding members of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. The City of Blackfoot and its Police Department have a highly valued relationship with the Tribes and we find Sheriff Rowland's comments to be repulsive. His comments do not in any way reflect the City's nor the Blackfoot Police Department's attitudes towards our neighbors at Fort Hall. We truly value these relationships and look forward to the future projects and dealings with the Tribal Council and the Fort Hall Police Department," Mayor Carroll said.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, the Shoshone Bannock Tribe also called for his resignation. They said they were upset with what they are calling racist comments against the Fort Hall community from the Bingham County sheriff.

They are referring to the comment made by Sheriff Craig Rowland found in a 10-page affidavit where he was defending his actions after pulling a young girl by her hair from her car then yelling at her at gunpoint, saying he was startled after the group of girls tried to deliver homemade thank you cards to their neighbors.

“I have been doing this job for 36 years, I have had drunk Indians drive down my cul-de-sac. I’ve had drunk Indians come to my door. I live just off the reservation, we have a lot of reservation people around us that are not good people,” he said.

But the Tribes' Attorney responded by saying, “Local law enforcement has a long history of violent criminal conduct towards tribal community members, stemming back decades. Race relations between local law enforcement has been controversial and sometimes violent.”

Adding there needs to be better relationships built between the two communities.

The City of Blackfoot, Blackfoot Police Department and the Tribes are also asking for an apology.

Bingham County Commissioners also responded to Sheriff Rowland's statements.

Commissioner Whitney Manwaring released the following statement:

"I am deeply disappointed and saddened, both on a personal and professional level, by the disparaging remarks attributed to Sheriff Rowland about our tribal neighbors in Fort Hall.  I have spent many happy years playing sports at Timbee Hall, enjoyed supporting their Relay races, and have enjoyed a kind and helpful working relationship with them in all of my time as Bingham County Commissioner.  Some of my family’s and my closest and most trusted friends are tribal members and residents of Fort Hall.  I would welcome them to my home any time.  I offer my inadequate but sincere apology and will continue to work to promote a better relationship with the tribe however I can."

Commissioner Mark R. Bair released the following statement:

As a Bingham County Commissioner I felt like addressing the recent news article deserved a timely response, and given the nature of how the commission works, we are not able to legally join and discuss the issues.  Instead, I am able to speak individually as an elected official. 

I have read the comments in the news article attributed to the Sheriff about the Native American Community.  I whole-heartedly disagree with those comments.  It is my experience that Bingham County does not operate with the mindset of those comments.  I truly care about the Native American Community and have witnessed great relationships develop through our interactions over the years and I will strive to keep those relationships positive and make this a community where everyone can feel safe and protected. 

As a Bingham County elected official, I have a lot of faith in the judicial system.  I believe that the legal issues going on with Craig Rowland in his personal life should resolve and will resolve within the judicial system and not through the media. 

Bingham County Commissioner Jessica Lewis released the following statement:

I am shocked and disappointed in the comments printed about Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Members. The Reservation and its members are, and have always been, an important part of Bingham County.  The comments reflect the beliefs of one individual and in no way do I agree with or condone them. Having a positive relationship with the Tribe is extremely important to me and I hope that we will be able to repair the damage caused by these hurtful comments.

Bingham County Prosecutor Paul Rogers released the following statement:

Bingham County is my home. I have lived here my entire life. I love this community and what it has always offered. It is my duty and obligation to protect this county and the citizens that live here. I have been mentored by the best leaders that have forged the mantra in me to “do the right thing” no matter how difficult it may be.

In the recent days Bingham County has made headlines which have placed Bingham County in a negative light. I have read the affidavit of probable cause regarding the charges filed against Sheriff Craig Rowland and the charging complaint and have been disheartened and surprised by the allegations contained within each. In the last few days, since the news broke, the County has received an overwhelming number of phone calls with inquiries that I never expected to have to answer.

Many of the questions that are being asked are about resignation and what elected officials can do about it. Fortunately Idaho Code § 59-901 provides guidance of nine (9) individual ways in which a vacancy may occur. The Idaho Code provides no authority to one elected official to force another elected official out of office.

Some of the questions and concerns have been focused on when an elected official is charged with a crime why does the county not restrict that charged elected official from attending work as normal. The Idaho Code does not provide any avenue in which one elected office may control the attendance or leave of a separate elected office. The manner in which an elected office manages leave and attendance is within the control of those individual offices. Last, many questions that are being raised is where does the Bingham County Prosecutor’s Office stand as a reaction to the alleged-hurtful statements in the affidavit and the news release. The statements in the affidavit of probable cause that were attributed to Craig Rowland have caused great discourse in the community. There have been many comments suggesting Bingham County as a whole operates with the same mindset as those alleged comments portrayed in the affidavit and news articles. I have been with the Bingham County Prosecutor’s Office for nine (9) years, and in my entire time here I have worked with the best officers both in the county and in the city (including Shelley Police) from top to bottom. Never once have I reviewed a case and believed that any of our officers work with a racial intent. In fact, my experience is that all of our local law enforcement puts forth significant effort to see each case on its face, record facts, collect evidence and complete reports without any preconceived judgment attached. Our law enforcement cares greatly about protecting the community and just over the last few years, many of our officers have put their life on the line for
the citizens of Bingham.

Additionally, I have had the opportunity to work directly with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Court on some of our highest profile cases and the judges, attorneys and officers have always given us great support and aid whenever we have requested. I have witnessed only positive interactions and I would hope to continue that trend and build upon it. I am in a very unique position in which I view the behind the scenes on a daily basis.

I believe whole-heartedly that the citizens of our county are receiving some of the highest quality law enforcement treatment and care for the safety of our community. Right now Bingham County and our law enforcement and elected officials, both county and city, are being attacked based on what are merely allegations at this stage. At some point the damage to the Sheriff’s Office becomes irreparable regardless of the outcome of the newly-filed case. To this end I would hope that our current Sheriff would again consider resignation as an
option to allow Bingham County to begin the healing process and allow the officers and the County to continue on safely and effectively.

In return, the community must remember, that if an elected official chooses to resign, resignation has no implication of admission to guilt. The charges filed are a separate and personal matter and have nothing to do with the actions of Bingham County. Those personal matters deserve an opportunity to be heard in court.

The judicial system is a beautiful and complex process. It provides each of us with the presumption of innocence and allows us to be tried upon the evidence and our peers provide the judgement of character and truth. As a community we must remember that all of those charged with a crime are innocent until proven guilty, being in an elected position does not change that burden for anyone. We cannot pass judgment without justice. It is not my place or in my authority, nor is it the place of any elected official, to force resignation of someone that has not been allowed to be heard.

Paul Rogers
Bingham County Prosecutor